dose

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: the measured quantity of a therapeutic agent to be taken at one time
b
: the quantity of radiation administered or absorbed
2
: a portion of a substance added during a process
3
: an amount of something likened to a prescribed or measured quantity of medicine
a daily dose of hard work
a dose of scandal
4
: a gonorrheal infection

dose

2 of 2

verb

dosed; dosing

transitive verb

1
: to give a dose to
especially : to give medicine to
2
: to divide into doses
dose a medicine
3
: to treat with an application or agent

Examples of dose in a Sentence

Noun I've been taking the same dose for five years. a large dose of vitamin C The drug is lethal even in small doses. a large dose of sugar a high dose of radiation Her parents hoped a daily dose of hard work would keep her out of trouble. He needs a good dose of reality. Verb Most patients are dosed at 50 milligrams per day.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Because euthanasia is when somebody else administers the dose. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Sep. 2024 These four ingredients work to comfort irritated skin, quelling redness, and preventing dehydration—the squalane included in the formula adds an extra dose of moisture for good measure. Emily Orofino, Vogue, 7 Sep. 2024
Verb
Most overdoses resulted from dosing errors made by consumers injecting themselves with the drug. Liz Szabo, NBC News, 3 Aug. 2024 To avoid dosing larvae with antibiotics again, Patterson and his team improved the water-cleansing system and added a huge UV filter to kill bacteria. Lisa S. Gardiner, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dose 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dose.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Middle French, from Late Latin dosis, from Greek, literally, act of giving, from didonai to give — more at date

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1654, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dose was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near dose

Cite this Entry

“Dose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dose. Accessed 12 Sep. 2024.

Kids Definition

dose

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: the measured amount of a medicine to be taken at one time
b
: the quantity of radiation given or absorbed
2
: a portion of a substance added during a process
3
: an experience to which one is exposed
a dose of hard work

dose

2 of 2 verb
dosed; dosing
1
: to give medicine to
2
: to treat with something

Medical Definition

dose

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: the measured quantity of a therapeutic agent to be taken at one time
b
: the quantity of radiation administered or absorbed
2
: a gonorrheal infection

dose

2 of 2 verb
dosed; dosing

transitive verb

1
: to divide (as a medicine) into doses
2
: to give a dose to
especially : to give medicine to
3
: to treat with an application or agent

intransitive verb

: to take medicine
he is forever dosing but he gets worse
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!