I. ˈdōs noun
( -s )
Etymology: French, from Late Latin dosis, from Greek, literally, act of giving, gift, from didonai to give — more at date
1.
a. : the measured quantity of a medicine or other therapeutic agent to be taken at one time or in a period of time
the same amount daily in divided doses until the temperature remains normal
b. : the quantity of radiation administered to (as in radiotherapy) or absorbed accidentally by a given volume or mass of tissue at one time, measured in terms of the intensity of radiation, the distance from the source, and the length of exposure
2. : a portion of an additive admitted during a process
a faulty champagne can be hidden rather conveniently under a strong dose of sugarcane — Barrett McGurn
3.
a. : a measure or portion of some experience to which one is exposed or subjected
schools where reluctant youths are being exposed to a heavy dose of book learning unrelated to their interests and their ambitions — J.B.Conant
so we gave him a large dose of squash and track work — Harry Gordon
I had a long dose of Spinoza with far more admiration than previously — H.J.Laski
after I saw my first burst damaged him I flew in closer and gave him a second dose
taken in easy doses, a chapter at a time because of its close-packed variety, this book is a treasure-house of marvelous reading — Hal Lehrman
feeding them immense doses of propaganda
b. nonstand : a gonorrheal infection
4. : a standard increment of labor and capital conceived as being applied to land to measure changes in its productiveness at different intensities of cultivation
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
transitive verb
1. : to proportion (a medicine or other therapeutic agent) properly with reference to the patient or illness
2. : to give a dose to:
a. : to give medicine to
b. : to subject to an experience by way of correction or instruction
dosed the jeering lads with a bucket of water
dosed him with a stiff course of reading in the Greek and Latin
3. : to treat with an application or agent
a powerful ray that dosed the paint for a long period
his dark mustache … was liberally dosed with bear grease — R.W.Thorp
4. : to apply a dose of labor or capital to
intransitive verb
: to take medicine
he is forever dosing, but he gets worse