median lethal dose

American  

noun

1. the quantity of a lethal substance, as a poison or pathogen, or of ionizing radiation that will kill 50 percent of the organisms subjected to it in a specified time period. LD 5 0

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median lethal dose British  

noun

1. the amount of a drug or other substance that, when administered to a group of experimental animals, will kill 50 per cent of the group in a specified time

2. the amount of ionizing radiation that will kill 50 per cent of a population in a specified time

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Etymology

Origin of median lethal dose

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

median lethal dose

In toxicology, the median lethal dose, or LD50, is the approximate dose required to kill half the animals in a population being studied.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2023