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
Studies using CoQ10 in the setting of IVF have used doses as high as 1200mg but always speak with a healthcare provider about the dose best for you. Casey Seiden, Parents, 22 Mar. 2024 The delay is largest after the first dose and diminishes over time. Katie Camero, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024 Working with community leaders, city officials hurriedly administered about 200,000 doses of vaccine. Apoorva Mandavilli, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024 Despite its general effectiveness, the CDC reports some people who get two doses of the MMR vaccine may still get measles, mumps or rubella if exposed to the virus, but the reason remains unknown. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 15 Mar. 2024 University of Texas researchers tested the drug in five primates 24 hours after they’d been given what was considered a lethal dose of the Sudan ebolavirus. Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 15 Mar. 2024 At the time, the CDC considered one dose fully vaccinated. Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 10 Mar. 2024 March 12 Dark circles and tired, sagging undereyes need a hefty dose of brightening vitamin C, the star ingredient in Kinship's radiance-boosting Brightwave Energizing + Brightening Eye Cream. Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 8 Mar. 2024 After a lackluster first half, the Warriors needed a dose of energy, and Green injected it. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024
Verb
The first officer allowed the captain to take a nap and then dosed off himself, later attributing his sleepiness to helping take care of his one-month-old twins at home. Ryan Erik King / Jalopnik, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024 Safeguards against infection and milder illness start to fade within months, leaving people who dose up in autumn potentially more susceptible to exposures by spring. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 28 Feb. 2024 The pump’s algorithm does the rest, automatically dosing him every five minutes. Elizabeth B. Kim, The Enquirer, 28 Feb. 2024 One study, for instance, found that, just like people, nematode worms dosed with cannabis get the munchies. Jesse Greenspan, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024 However, the severity of all these symptoms is dose dependent, meaning that the amount of lactose consumed, and the amount of lactase produced by the body, are important factors. Max Bennett, Discover Magazine, 29 Jan. 2024 She is accused of dosing them with fentanyl, according to an indictment obtained by NBC News. Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 25 Nov. 2023 Itō is also forced to pay Yamaguchi 550,000 yen for accusing him of dosing her with a date rape drug in her book sans evidence. Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 25 Jan. 2024 The family of a Utah mother of three accused of fatally dosing her husband with fentanyl before penning a children's book on grief spoke out her defense, insisting that the man must have died of an accidental overdose. Christina Coulter, Fox News, 3 Nov. 2023

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 28 Mar. 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
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