dose
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.the exact amount of medicine you are supposed to take at one time.
n.a measured portion of a therapeutic substance or radiation administered at a single time.
Simple“The doctor told him to take a small dose of the syrup every four hours.”
In context“The clinical trial aimed to determine the minimum effective dose required to reduce blood pressure without causing significant side effects.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'of'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.an amount of something you experience, especially if it is difficult or strong.
n.a quantity of an experience or quality, often one that is disagreeable or intense.
Simple“After a long week of work, she needed a healthy dose of peace and quiet.”
In context“The documentary provided a heavy dose of reality regarding the environmental challenges facing the region.”
Teacher's tipCommonly used in the idiom 'a dose of your own medicine', meaning to be treated the same way you treat others.
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.a bad cold or a case of the flu.
n.a bout of a common viral illness, such as a cold or influenza.
Simple“I've had a nasty dose of the flu and have been in bed for three days.”
In context“He missed the conference because he was struck down by a particularly severe dose of whatever virus was going around the office.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to give someone a specific amount of medicine.
v.to administer a measured quantity of a drug or medication to a person or animal.
Simple“She had to dose the cat with antibiotics twice a day.”
In context“The veterinarian instructed the farmer on how to dose the livestock to prevent the spread of the parasite through the herd.”
UsageUsually transitive, taking a direct object for the recipient and 'with' for the substance.
Synonymsmedicatetreat
“One dose of the MMR vaccine is about 97% effective at preventing rubella.”
“Nearly 90,000 doses of the vaccine have already been given, with 135,000 more booked in for the coming weeks.”
Borrowed from Middle French dose, from Late Latin dosis, from Ancient Greek δόσις (dósis, “a portion prescribed”, literally “a giving”), used by Galen and other Greek physicians to mean an amount of medicine, from δίδωμι (dídōmi, “to give”). Doublet of doos.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.