dose

dose — noun

1. a specific quantity of a medicinal substance that a patient swallows, injects, o

1.nounB1
Definition

a specific quantity of a medicinal substance that a patient swallows, injects, or otherwise receives at one interval, as stated on a doctor's prescription.

Example

The doctor told Wren to take one dose of cough syrup every six hours.

collocation: take a dose / dose of [medicine]

Eitan missed his evening dose of antibiotics and felt worse the next morning.

Common collocations
  • take a dose
  • high dose
  • low dose
  • daily dose
  • single dose
  • lethal dose
  • dose of antibiotics
Synonyms
  • dosage

    more technical; refers to the prescribed size and frequency of a dose rather than a single administration

  • portion

    more general; not specific to medicine

  • quantity

    formal and neutral; lacks the medical precision of 'dose'

Grammar Patterns

dose + of + noun

take/administer + dose

Usage Note

Frequently used with adjectives that specify the amount: 'daily dose', 'single dose', 'lethal dose'. The verb 'take' is the most common collocate for the person receiving the medicine; 'administer' is used by medical professionals.

Common Mistakes

I took three doses in one day because the pain was bad.
I took three doses in one day as the doctor instructed.
You should never take more than the prescribed dose without a doctor's approval.

2. a quantity of something negative — such as criticism, bad news, hard work, or an

2.nounB2
Definition

a quantity of something negative — such as criticism, bad news, hard work, or an illness — that a person receives or has to deal with.

Example

Sayaka got a sobering dose of reality when she saw her first university tuition bill.

figurative use: dose of reality

A hefty dose of criticism rained down on the mayor during the town-hall meeting.

collocation: dose of criticism

Common collocations
  • dose of reality
  • dose of their own medicine
  • dose of flu
  • dose of criticism
  • hefty dose
  • sobering dose
  • nasty dose
Synonyms
  • helping

    informal, often ironic: 'a generous helping of bad luck'

  • serving

    similar to 'helping'; implies a portion given out

  • share

    neutral; less vivid than 'dose'

Grammar Patterns

a dose of + noun (negative experience)

Usage Note

Nearly always followed by 'of' plus a noun that names the negative thing. The noun after 'dose' is typically abstract (reality, criticism, truth) or names an illness (flu, cold). Positive concepts rarely appear in this pattern.

Common Mistakes

I received a dose of good news this morning.
I received a dose of bad news this morning.
In this figurative sense, 'dose' is strongly associated with negative experiences, not positive ones.

3. a slang term for gonorrhoea, a sexually transmitted infection that can affect th

3.noun
Definition

a slang term for gonorrhoea, a sexually transmitted infection that can affect the reproductive organs.

Example

The clinic reported several new doses among college students this spring.

slang usage: dose = gonorrhoea infection

Rachid worried he might have caught a dose and booked a test the same day.

Common collocations
  • catch a dose
  • have a dose
Synonyms
  • the clap

    another slang term for gonorrhoea, equally informal

Grammar Patterns

have/catch a dose

Usage Note

Strongly slang and potentially offensive in formal or polite conversation. Rarely used in modern medical writing, where 'gonorrhoea' or 'gonococcal infection' is preferred. Learners should recognise this term but avoid using it.

Common Mistakes

She caught a dose of the flu from her classmate.
She caught a dose of gonorrhoea from unprotected sex.
In slang use, 'a dose' refers specifically to gonorrhoea, not to any illness.
Idioms

like a dose of salts

idiom

If something happens like a dose of salts, it happens very quickly and without difficulty.

Maya finished her homework like a dose of salts.

Did Brian clean the garage like a dose of salts?

a taste/dose of your own medicine

idiom

If someone gets a taste of their own medicine, they experience the same unpleasant treatment they gave to others.

The bully got a taste of his own medicine when his friends ignored him.

Sara gave the rude waiter a dose of his own medicine by complaining loudly.

dose — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Dose, dosage, amount, portion, and quantity all refer to a measure of something, but they differ in context and precision. Dose is the most specific: it means a measured amount of medicine taken at one time — for example, 'the doctor prescribed a 500 mg dose of paracetamol.' Dosage refers to the size and frequency of doses over a period: 'the recommended dosage is one tablet three times a day.' Amount is the most general word and works for anything countable or uncountable: 'a small amount of sugar.' Portion implies a part of a whole, often a serving of food: 'she asked for a larger portion of rice.' Quantity is more formal and common in technical or commercial settings: 'the factory ordered a large quantity of raw materials.' In medical contexts, use dose for a single administration and dosage for the regimen.

dose ↗dosage ↗amount ↗portion ↗quantity ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • carefully dosed
  • heavily dosed
  • regularly dosed

Phrases

  • a dose of
  • dose someone with
  • take a dose

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Dose entered English in the 15th century from French 'dose', meaning a prescription or measured portion. The French word came from Late Latin 'dosis' (a portion given), which was borrowed from Greek 'dosis' (a giving, a dose), a noun derived from 'didonai' (to give). The figurative sense (a dose of reality) appeared in the 18th century, and the verb form emerged around 1600.