# dose

/ˈdoʊs/ (US) · /dˈəʊs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dose
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. amount of medicine

noun · CEFR B1

the exact amount of medicine you are supposed to take at one time.

For teachers: a measured portion of a therapeutic substance or radiation administered at a single time.

- The doctor told him to take a small dose of the syrup every four hours.
- The clinical trial aimed to determine the minimum effective dose required to reduce blood pressure without causing significant side effects.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'of'.

### 2. an amount of an experience

noun · CEFR B2

an amount of something you experience, especially if it is difficult or strong.

For teachers: a quantity of an experience or quality, often one that is disagreeable or intense.

- After a long week of work, she needed a healthy dose of peace and quiet.
- The documentary provided a heavy dose of reality regarding the environmental challenges facing the region.

Teaching tip: Commonly used in the idiom 'a dose of your own medicine', meaning to be treated the same way you treat others.

### 3. an illness

noun · CEFR C1 · British English · Informal · Dialect

a bad cold or a case of the flu.

For teachers: a bout of a common viral illness, such as a cold or influenza.

- I've had a nasty dose of the flu and have been in bed for three days.
- He missed the conference because he was struck down by a particularly severe dose of whatever virus was going around the office.

### 4. to give medicine

verb · CEFR B2

to give someone a specific amount of medicine.

For teachers: to administer a measured quantity of a drug or medication to a person or animal.

- She had to dose the cat with antibiotics twice a day.
- The veterinarian instructed the farmer on how to dose the livestock to prevent the spread of the parasite through the herd.

Usage: Usually transitive, taking a direct object for the recipient and 'with' for the substance.

## Examples

- The doctor says the correct dose is two pills every morning.
- You should always check the label to ensure you are taking the recommended dose of cough syrup.
- After weeks of working overtime, a weekend at the beach provided the perfect dose of relaxation to prevent total burnout.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.