Main Entry: bo·lus

Pronunciation: \ˈbō-ləs\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural bo·lus·es

1 : a rounded mass: as a : a large pill b : a soft mass of chewed food
2 a : a dose of a substance (as a drug) given intravenously b : a large dose of a substance given by injection for the purpose of rapidly achieving the needed therapeutic concentration in the bloodstream <the patient receives a bolus dose to reach the minimum effective analgesic concentration—J. F. Camp> <subcutaneous injection of a premeal bolus of fast-acting insulin>