dose

[ dohs ]

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.

verb (used with object)

, dosed, dos·ing.

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, dos·ing.

1. to take a dose of medicine.

dose

/ 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 calleddosage 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 calleddosage 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. like a dose of salts
   very quickly indeed

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

Derived Forms

• ˈdoser, noun

Other Words From

• dos·er noun
• su·per·dose noun
• un·der·dose noun
• un·der·dose verb (used with object) underdosed underdosing
• well-dosed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dose¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of dose¹

C15: from French, from Late Latin dosis, from Greek: a giving, from didonai to give

Example Sentences

At a later date, all of the volunteers were given either a single dose of prescribed sodium-oxybate liquid medicine or a dummy or placebo.

From BBC

It can lead to lung injury, coma and death within seconds when consumed in large amounts, but even small doses can still be very harmful.

From BBC

Phages are rapidly filtered out of the blood by the liver and spleen, but they can also reproduce, making it hard to determine the right dose.

From Salon

“I think it’s a healthy dose of both,” says Bear, poised at her piano.

From Los Angeles Times

Former New York Rep. George Santos thinks criticism of President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial Cabinet picks is “f**king hilarious” and blames “Democrat trolls” for the healthy dose of backlash.

From Salon

Related Words

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