Crossword Dictionary
DOSE
dose, dosage - n
a measured portion of medicine taken at any one time
the quantity of an active agent (substance or radiation) taken in or absorbed at any one time
Synonyms
application, dosage, lot, measure, measurement, prescription, quantity, shot, dram
Examples
The doctor fixed the rib, dosed him heavily with drugs, and said he would probably get better.
A dose of medicine or a drug is a measured amount of it which is intended to be taken at one time.
Until recently, it was standard practice to give young farm animals low doses to speed their growth and maximise profit.
Etymology
early 15c., "the giving of medicine (in a specified amount or at a stated time)," from Old French dose (15c.) or directly from Medieval Latin dosis, from Greek dosis "a portion prescribed," literally "a giving," used by Galen and other Greek physicians to mean an amount of medicine, from stem of didonai "to give" (from PIE root *do- "to give").