a unit of weight in the traditional (troy) system used by English apothecaries, equal to 20 grains, 1/24 troy ounce [2] or approximately 1.2960 gram. See also dram [2], and see troy weights for additional information. The name of the unit is from the Latin scrupulus, meaning a small, sharp stone. (This word also came to mean "something which causes pain or annoyance," such as a pebble in one's shoe, and this led to our other use of the word "scruple" to mean an ethical consideration.) Units similar to the scruple were used throughout Europe; the French and Russian scrupule, Italian scrupolo, and German skrupul are equal to 20 of the local unit corresponding to the grain and all are equivalent to something in the range 1.1-1.3 grams.