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
dosed; dosing
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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, 30 Nov. 2023
This is achieved by administering small doses of the allergen over time, which helps to train the immune system to become less reactive to the substance.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
The holidays have arrived, ushering in glad tidings and a heaping dose of Christmas cheer along with them.
—Sarah Lemire, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Nov. 2023
With a blend of baobab, camellia, and passion fruit seed oils, your lips get a dose of moisture and stay hydrated for hours.
—Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 26 Nov. 2023
The traditional story unfolds, but this time with a good dose of humor and modernization.
—Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2023
High doses are available for those aged 65 and older.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 22 Nov. 2023
Lemon zest and juice: Zest is added to the shortbread, with lemon juice baked into the curd for a double dose of fresh lemon flavor.
—Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 20 Nov. 2023
Children up to age 2 who are at high risk for severe illness from the virus can get additional doses during their second RSV seasons.
—Erika Edwards, NBC News, 17 Nov. 2023
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 29 Nov. 2023
Mary’s biographer relates how the birth of her last child was a deeply traumatic experience for the countess, requiring her physician to dose her, postpartum, with brandy, opium and toast soaked in white wine.
—William Booth, Washington Post, 28 Nov. 2023
In early studies, Loyal dosed 130 research dogs with its investigational drug.
—Emily Mullin, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2023
However, your baby will need boosters of the following:
Rotavirus (dose 2)
DTaP (dose 2)
Hib (dose 2)
Pneumococcal conjugate (dose 2)
Inactivated poliovirus (dose 2)
6 Month Vaccines
The infant vaccine schedule introduces a couple of new vaccines at 6 months—COVID-19 and the flu shot.
—Parents Editors, Parents, 14 Nov. 2023
Each container contains 30 individual worms that are each potently dosed with 10 mg of quality D8 Cannabis distillate for maximum sedative effects.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 7 July 2023
All the ingredients are dosed at the correct levels as recommended by scientific research.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 5 Oct. 2023
Superheroes, the Boys revealed to the public, are not born but made — unwittingly dosed as children with a chemical known as Compound V in a mass Vought-run experiment enabled by complicit parents.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 27 Sep. 2023
Your instinct might be to carefully follow the manufacturer’s dosing instructions, but Richardson advocates for using even less.
—Laura Daily, Washington Post, 16 Oct. 2023
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Noun
Some doses of semaglutide are still listed as in shortage on the agency’s drug shortage database website.
—Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, 30 Nov. 2023
This is achieved by administering small doses of the allergen over time, which helps to train the immune system to become less reactive to the substance.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
The holidays have arrived, ushering in glad tidings and a heaping dose of Christmas cheer along with them.
—Sarah Lemire, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Nov. 2023
With a blend of baobab, camellia, and passion fruit seed oils, your lips get a dose of moisture and stay hydrated for hours.
—Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 26 Nov. 2023
The traditional story unfolds, but this time with a good dose of humor and modernization.
—Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 24 Nov. 2023
High doses are available for those aged 65 and older.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 22 Nov. 2023
Lemon zest and juice: Zest is added to the shortbread, with lemon juice baked into the curd for a double dose of fresh lemon flavor.
—Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 20 Nov. 2023
Children up to age 2 who are at high risk for severe illness from the virus can get additional doses during their second RSV seasons.
—Erika Edwards, NBC News, 17 Nov. 2023
Verb
The problem with information being dosed out like this goes beyond a viewer’s uneasy feeling of being toyed with by a filmmaker.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 29 Nov. 2023
Mary’s biographer relates how the birth of her last child was a deeply traumatic experience for the countess, requiring her physician to dose her, postpartum, with brandy, opium and toast soaked in white wine.
—William Booth, Washington Post, 28 Nov. 2023
In early studies, Loyal dosed 130 research dogs with its investigational drug.
—Emily Mullin, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2023
However, your baby will need boosters of the following:
Rotavirus (dose 2)
DTaP (dose 2)
Hib (dose 2)
Pneumococcal conjugate (dose 2)
Inactivated poliovirus (dose 2)
6 Month Vaccines
The infant vaccine schedule introduces a couple of new vaccines at 6 months—COVID-19 and the flu shot.
—Parents Editors, Parents, 14 Nov. 2023
Each container contains 30 individual worms that are each potently dosed with 10 mg of quality D8 Cannabis distillate for maximum sedative effects.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 7 July 2023
All the ingredients are dosed at the correct levels as recommended by scientific research.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 5 Oct. 2023
Superheroes, the Boys revealed to the public, are not born but made — unwittingly dosed as children with a chemical known as Compound V in a mass Vought-run experiment enabled by complicit parents.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 27 Sep. 2023
Your instinct might be to carefully follow the manufacturer’s dosing instructions, but Richardson advocates for using even less.
—Laura Daily, Washington Post, 16 Oct. 2023
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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
Phrases Containing dose
Dictionary Entries Near dose
Cite this Entry
“Dose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dose. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
dose
1 of 2 noun1
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 noun1
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
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
: to take medicine
he is forever dosing but he gets worse
More from Merriam-Webster on dose
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dose
Nglish: Translation of dose for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of dose for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dose
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