dose

[ dohs ]

/ doʊs /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: dose / dosed / dosing on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

a substance, situation, or quantity of anything analogous to medicine, especially of something disagreeable: Failing the exam was a hard dose to swallow.

an amount of sugar added in the production of champagne.

Physics.

Also called ab·sorbed 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.
exposure dose.

Slang. a case of gonorrhea or syphilis.

verb (used with object), dosed, dos·ing.

to administer in or apportion for doses.

to give a dose of medicine to.

to add sugar to (champagne) during production.

verb (used without object), dosed, dos·ing.

to take a dose of medicine.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of dose

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

OTHER WORDS FROM dose

doser, nounsu·per·dose, nounun·der·dose, nounun·der·dose, verb (used with object), un·der·dosed, un·der·dos·ing.

well-dosed, adjective

Words nearby dose

DOS, dosa, dos-à-dos, dosage, do's and don'ts, dose, dose equivalent, dose of one's own medicine, dose-response curve, dosh, do-si-do

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use dose in a sentence

States and counties receive a certain number of doses to try to meet the needs of their populations, and visitors and nonresidents may edge out others who qualify.
Don’t hate the vaccine tourists, hate the vaccine game|Jen Kirby|February 12, 2021|Vox
Leaders in the District and Maryland on Thursday continued to confront enormous demand for vaccine doses from residents and from the pharmacies, clinics and health departments administering the shots.
South Africa and U.K. coronavirus variants detected in D.C.; Maryland to open third mass vaccination site|Erin Cox, Julie Zauzmer, Rachel Chason|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
Moderna has said that it will run its studies of children under 12 testing lower doses first.
Fauci: Vaccines for Kids as Young as First Graders Could Be Authorized by September|by Caroline Chen|February 11, 2021|ProPublica
While perhaps not producing a ton of snow, the weather pattern will remain very active through the weekend, when another winter weather event may deliver a dose of snow, sleet and freezing rain Saturday and Saturday night.
Snow and wintry mix continue overnight, especially north of District|Jason Samenow, Wes Junker, Andrew Freedman|February 11, 2021|Washington Post

Montgomery Health Officer Travis Gayles said Wednesday that another challenge in distributing vaccine doses is not having adequate notice from the state health department on how many doses the county government will receive.
Leaders in Washington region ask FEMA for help in vaccinating federal workers|Julie Zauzmer, Rachel Chason, Rebecca Tan|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
If laughter is the best medicine, The Comeback made you feel enough pain to need a dose—and then it delivered in spades.
‘The Comeback’ Finale: Give Lisa Kudrow All of the Awards|Kevin Fallon|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Stop Making Sense is the only current movie that's a dose of happiness from beginning to end.
The Stacks: Pauline Kael's Talking Heads Obsession|Pauline Kael|November 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The “gold standard” dose is 30 minutes of 10,000 lux light, one hour of 5,000 lux light or two hours of 2,500 lux light.
Fight Seasonal Affective Disorder With This New Tracker|DailyBurn|November 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On Wednesday, anchor Shepard Smith gave Fox News viewers a dose of rationality.
Breakdancing Brad Pitt, Chainsaw Massacre Prank, and More Viral Videos|The Daily Beast Video|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The story gets out that Obama skipped his usual afternoon dose of caffeine heading toward the U.N. meeting.
Obama, the Coffee Salute, and the Dementia on the Right|Sally Kohn|September 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But I couldn't get rid of the notion that he would hand me out the same dose he had given MacRae if only he had the power.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
He's getting a little stiff in the joints of his good nature, but a good dose of flattery'll limber him up considerable.
Dorothy at Skyrie|Evelyn Raymond
Nor could they forget the Sunday mornings when his reverence took his dose of egg-flip before church, in order to clear his voice.
Skipper Worse|Alexander Lange Kielland
Great caution is necessary in the use of these powerful medicines to avoid an over-dose.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
Ill kill half Dunellen and all Mayfield with overdoses before another night, and then take a big dose myself.
Tessa Wadsworth's Discipline|Jennie M. Drinkwater

British Dictionary definitions for dose

dose

/ (dəʊs) /

noun

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

informal something unpleasant to experiencea dose of influenza

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

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

slang a venereal infection, esp gonorrhoea

like a dose of salts very quickly indeed

verb (tr)

to administer a dose or doses to (someone)

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

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

to add syrup to (wine) during bottling

Derived forms of dose

doser, noun

Word Origin for dose

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

dose

Origin of dose

OTHER WORDS FROM dose

Words nearby dose

Words related to dose

How to use dose in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dose

Derived forms of dose

Word Origin for dose