Definition

1. Noun:

   • A measured quantity of a medicine or drug to be taken at one time: The primary meaning refers to a specific, measured amount of a therapeutic substance intended for administration.
   • The quantity of an active agent (like radiation or a chemical) absorbed or received at one time: This extends the meaning to non-medical contexts involving exposure to substances or energy.
   • A communicable infection transmitted by sexual contact: (Informal, often "a dose") Refers to a case of a sexually transmitted infection.
   • A street name for the drug lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD): (Slang) A specific informal term for a dose of the hallucinogenic drug LSD.

2. Verb:

   • To administer a measured quantity of medicine or a drug to someone or something: The action of giving a specific dose.
   • To treat or mix with an agent; to add a substance to something: This can refer to exposing something to a measured amount of another substance, like radiation or a chemical additive.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The doctor prescribed a daily dose of antibiotics. (A measured amount of medicine.)
  • Workers must monitor their radiation dose carefully. (Quantity of an active agent absorbed.)
  • He went to the clinic because he thought he had a dose. (A sexually transmitted infection.)
  • The dealer sold him a single dose. (A portion of an illegal drug, specifically LSD.)

• Verb:

  • The nurse will dose the patient with pain medication every four hours. (Administer a measured quantity.)
  • The machine doses the paint with a hardening agent automatically. (Adds a measured amount of a substance.)

Advanced Usage

• "A dose of reality": A metaphor meaning an experience that makes someone face the truth or real facts of a situation, often harshly.

  • Losing the election was a hard dose of reality for the candidate.

• "Like a dose of salts": (Simile, informal) Refers to something that acts very quickly and thoroughly.

  • The new manager cleared out the old files like a dose of salts.

Variants and Related Words

• Dosage (n): The size or frequency of a dose of a medicine or drug; the overall regimen. (e.g., )
• Dosimeter (n): A device that measures exposure to radiation or other substances.
• Overdose (n/v): A dangerously large dose; to take such a dose. (This is a compound word listed separately as per instruction.)

Synonyms

• Portion: A part of a whole, especially a serving of food or medicine.
• Measure: A specific quantity.
• Shot: (Informal) An injection or a single serving, especially of alcohol or a drug.
• Draught (also Draft): A single act of drinking or inhaling; a portion of liquid medicine.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Dose up: (Informal) To give or take a dose of medicine, often a large one.
  • She dosed herself up with cold medicine and went to bed.

Related Idioms

• A bitter pill to swallow / A hard dose to swallow: An unpleasant fact or situation that one must accept.
  • Being laid off was a bitter pill to swallow.
• What's your dose?: (Slang, potentially related to drug culture) Can be an inquiry about someone's usual amount or tolerance of a substance. (Use with extreme caution due to context.)

Noun

1. street name for lysergic acid diethylamide
2. a communicable infection transmitted by sexual intercourse or genital contact
3. the quantity of an active agent (substance or radiation) taken in or absorbed at any one time
4. a measured portion of medicine taken at any one time

Verb

1. administer a drug to
   • They drugged the kidnapped tourist
2. treat with an agent; add (an agent) to
   • The ray dosed the paint