dose

/dous/
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dose

A nurse gives a patient a dose of cough syrup.

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.)
dose

A nurse gives a patient a dose of cough syrup.

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