dose
UK[dəʊs]US[doʊs]
n
A measured amount of a medicine or drug taken at one time or over a period of time.
n
An amount of something, especially something unpleasant, that one experiences at one time.
v
To give a measured amount of medicine to someone or something.
Etymology
The word 'dose' entered English in the late 15th century from Middle French 'dose', which itself came from Late Latin 'dosis'. This Latin term was a direct borrowing from the Greek 'dosis', meaning 'a giving' or 'a portion prescribed'. The Greek word derives from the verb 'didonai', meaning 'to give'. The semantic journey is elegantly logical: from the general concept of 'a giving', the term was specialized in medical and scientific contexts (via Greek and Latin) to mean 'the amount of a medicine given at one time'. This precise, measured sense was fully established by the time it reached English and has since broadened metaphorically to refer to any measured quantity of an experience.
Analysis
The word 'dose' is a simplex loanword from Medieval Latin via Middle French. It does not contain separable, productive morphemes in modern English spelling.
Examples
The doctor prescribed a daily dose of antibiotics.
He received a heavy dose of reality when his project failed.
Be sure to dose the liquid medicine carefully using the provided syringe.