Meaning & use
dose
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Meanings
nouncountablemedical
A measured amount of medicine or a drug that is taken at one time.
Grammar: Countable: take a dose, two doses a day.
Patterns
- a dose of something
- a dose for someone
- take a dose
The label says the maximum dose for adults is two tablets.
He gave the child a small dose of cough syrup.
Never take a double dose if you miss one.
nouncountabletechnical
An amount of radiation, chemical or vaccine that a person or thing receives.
Grammar: Countable and often used with an adjective: a lethal dose, a high dose.
Patterns
- a dose of something
- exposure to a dose
Dental X-rays give a very low dose of radiation.
The second dose of the vaccine is given three weeks later.
The pesticide was harmful even at a small dose.
nouncountableinformalfigurative
An amount of something, usually unpleasant, that you experience at one time.
Grammar: Usually singular with a: a dose of reality, a dose of bad luck.
Patterns
- a dose of something
- a healthy dose of something
The interview gave him a sharp dose of reality.
The film needs a dose of humor.
She got a good dose of bad weather on holiday.
verbtransitivemedical
To give someone a measured amount of medicine or a drug.
Grammar: Takes an object, often with with: dose the patient with medicine, or dose yourself up.
Patterns
- dose someone with something
- dose yourself up
The vet dosed the horse with antibiotics.
She dosed herself with vitamin C at the first sign of a cold.
Parents often dose children with medicine at bedtime.
Word forms
| plural | doses |
|---|---|
| third person singular | doses |
| past tense | dosed |
| past participle | dosed |
| -ing form | dosing |
Common combinations
- a daily dose
- A daily dose of aspirin was prescribed.
- a lethal dose
- The scientist calculated what would be a lethal dose for a mouse.
- a booster dose
- Adults may need a booster dose after five years.
- a recommended dose
- Do not exceed the recommended dose.
- a healthy dose of
- The speech had a healthy dose of humor.
- administer a dose
- The nurse will administer a dose every four hours.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dosage
- Dosage means the amount and timing of doses prescribed, while dose is one single measured portion.
- measure
- Measure is a general word for an amount and does not suggest medical use.
- shot
- Shot is informal and used for an injection or a small drink, rather than any measured amount of medicine.
- portion
- Portion is an amount of food or part of a whole, and does not imply medical measuring.
Word family
Commonly confused: dose or doze? dose or dosage?
dose vs doze
Doze sounds the same as dose in many accents but means to sleep lightly for a short time. Do not write 'a doze of medicine'.
dose vs dosage
Dosage is the prescribed amount and schedule. A dose is one portion of that.
Practice
The doctor told him to take one ___ of the medicine every morning. Which word fits?
Choose one answer.
A dose is one measured amount of medicine, so 'one dose' is correct. Doze means to sleep lightly, 'dosage' is the overall plan, and 'does' is a verb form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dose”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.