dose

American  

[dohs] / doʊs /

noun

1. a quantity of medicine prescribed to be taken at one time.

2. a substance, situation, or quantity of anything analogous to medicine, especially of something disagreeable.

   Failing the exam was a hard dose to swallow.

3. an amount of sugar added in the production of champagne.

4. Physics.

   1. Also called absorbed dose.  the quantity of ionizing radiation absorbed by a unit mass of matter, especially living tissue, measured in grays: although increasingly disfavored, in the U.S. an absorbed dose may still be measured in rads.

   2. exposure dose.

5. Slang.  a case of gonorrhea or syphilis.

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verb (used with object)

dosed, dosing

1. to administer in or apportion for doses.

2. to give a dose of medicine to.

3. to add sugar to (champagne) during production.

verb (used without object)

dosed, dosing

1. to take a dose of medicine.

dose British  

/ dəʊs /

noun

1. med a specific quantity of a therapeutic drug or agent taken at any one time or at specified intervals

2. informal  something unpleasant to experience

   a dose of influenza

3. Also called: dosage.  the total energy of ionizing radiation absorbed by unit mass of material, esp of living tissue; usually measured in grays (SI unit) or rads

4. Also called: dosage.  a small amount of syrup added to wine, esp sparkling wine, when the sediment is removed and the bottle is corked

5. slang  a venereal infection, esp gonorrhoea

6. very quickly indeed

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verb

1. to administer a dose or doses to (someone)

2. med to give (a therapeutic drug or agent) in appropriate quantities

3. (often foll by up) to give (someone, esp oneself) drugs, medicine, etc, esp in large quantities

4. to add syrup to (wine) during bottling

Other Word Forms

• doser noun
• superdose noun
• underdose noun
• well-dosed adjective

Etymology

Origin of dose

First recorded in 1590–1600; French , from Late Latin dosis, from Greek dósis “a giving, gift,” derivative of didónai “to give”

Example Sentences

Research published in medical journals indicates that myocarditis after a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine is rare, although it is more likely to occur in boys within the first week of receiving the second dose.

From MarketWatch

It did not specify how many people received the first doses of the drug, which cost $28,000 per person a year in the United States.

From Barron's

It rolled down the field with ease behind a heavy dose of Miller, who finished the Trojans’ opening drive with a five-yard score.

From Los Angeles Times

Moving between the 19th century and the present, Stoddard balanced tragedy and comedy with a healthy dose of science and mathematics.

From Los Angeles Times

The patient leaflets for Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro recommend once‑weekly injections on a fixed schedule under medical supervision, indicating the drugs are intended for regular, continuous use rather than occasional or sporadic dosing.

From BBC

Related Words

• application
• dosage
• lot
• measure
• measurement
• prescription
• quantity
• shot