The deciliter (dL) is a metric unit of volume equal to one-tenth of a liter, used in medical lab reports and some European recipes. Blood test results in many countries express cholesterol and glucose levels in milligrams per deciliter, making this unit familiar to anyone reviewing health data. One deciliter equals exactly 100 milliliters or roughly 3.381 fluid ounces.

The US cup is a volume unit equal to 8 US fluid ounces or approximately 0.2366 liters, the standard measurement in American recipes and cookbooks. When a recipe calls for 'one cup of flour' or 'half a cup of sugar,' it refers to this specific volume, not a drinking vessel of arbitrary size. One US cup equals exactly 236.588 milliliters.