DiotimosReading Desk

Language number and measures

Cometz

A quantity expressed as one half of a drop.

From the book

A Chymical Dictionary

Gerhard Dorn and John French · Diotimos Editions · 2026

Browse this book’s lexicon →

Orientation

At a Glance

  • The wordA quantity expressed as one half of a drop.
  • In the bookCarena and Karena each give a twentieth part of a drop.
  • A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 17; facsimile PDF page 345.

Historical definition

Cometz is half a drop.

Meaning

This is a measure entry, defined by a fraction of another quantity. Its meaning depends on the historical use of “drop” in the passage being read. The dictionary does not specify a fixed volume, the liquid concerned, or an instrument that would make all drops equal.

Use in the book

Carena and Karena each give a twentieth part of a drop. Their presence shows a vocabulary of small fractions, but does not provide a conversion into modern units. Preserve the half-drop relation when comparing quantities in a historical text.

Places to read

  1. CometzRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
  2. CarenaA small measure expressed as a fraction of a drop.
  3. KarenaA minute quantity measured as a fraction of a drop.

Source note

Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 17; facsimile PDF page 345 — Facsimile

Sources. A Chymicall Dictionary 1650, s.v. Cometz