dose — English Dictionary

Noun

1. A measured portion of medicine taken at any one time.

   Examples

   Why did he give you only a single 500 mg dose? The correct dosage of this antibiotic is one 500 mg tablet twice a day for 10 days.

2. The quantity of an agent (not always active), substance, or radiation administered or experienced at any one time.

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   Manganism has been known about since the 19th century, when miners exposed to ores containing manganese[…]began to totter, slur their speech and behave like someone inebriated. The poisoning was irreversible, and soon ended in psychosis and death. Nowadays workers are exposed to far lower doses and manganism is rare.

3. Anything disagreeable that must be taken.

   Usage

   • Dated
   • Figurative

   Synonyms

   fill

4. A good measure or lengthy experience of something.

   Usage

   • Figurative

   Examples

   a healthy dose of skepticism.

   More examples (1)

   “I had then, as you remember, just returned to London after a lot of Indian Ocean, Pacific, China Seas - a regular dose of the East - six years or so, and I was loafing about, hindering you fellows in your work and invading your homes, just as though I had got a heavenly mission to civilise you.”

   The prospect of becoming a father is a dose of reality that threatens to bring his dream world crashing down.

   More examples (1)

   People who don't get their daily dose of light at the right time of day can end up with worse health.

5. A venereal infection.

   Usage

   • Dated

   Examples

   Don't give a dose to the one you love most. / Give her some marmalade... give her some toast.

   It would be very expensive to cure a dose here, as well as unbelievably painful.

6. A cold; a common, viral illness of the nasal passage, sometimes with fever.

   Usage

   • Ireland
   • Colloquial

   Examples

   There's a dose going round.

Verb

1. To administer a dose (of medicine) to.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   "She thought herself broad awake, and I have dosed her with an opiate."

2. To prescribe a dose.

3. To surreptitiously administer a dose of an incapacitating drug (to an unwilling subject); to roofie.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   The defense never conceded that their clients had administered chloral [hydrate], but Death and Campbell said initially—during their contested station house confessions—that McAlister had dosed [Jennie Bosschieter's] drink.

4. To transmit a venereal disease to.

   Usage

   • Dated
   • Transitive

   Examples

   Sometime back, one of your scarlet sisters dosed me proper.

Noun

1. a measured portion of medicine taken at any one time

   Synonyms

   dosage

   Broader terms

   medicinemedicationmedicamentmedicinal drug

2. the quantity of an active agent (substance or radiation) taken in or absorbed at any one time

   Synonyms

   dosage

   Broader terms

   indefinite quantity

3. a communicable infection transmitted by sexual intercourse or genital contact

   Synonyms

   venereal diseaseVDvenereal infectionsocial diseaseCupid's itchCupid's diseaseVenus's cursesexually transmitted diseaseSTD

   Broader terms

   contagious diseasecontagion

4. street name for lysergic acid diethylamide

   Synonyms

   acidback breakerbattery-aciddotElvisloony toonsLucy in the sky with diamondspanesupermanwindow paneZen

   Broader terms

   lysergic acid diethylamideLSD

Verb

1. treat with an agent; add (an agent) to

   Broader terms

   processtreat

   Examples

   The ray dosed the paint

2. administer a drug to

   Synonyms

   drug

   Broader terms

   medicatemedicine

   Examples

   They drugged the kidnapped tourist