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Medicine vocabulary · Prescriptions and Medication

Dose

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/doʊs/nounCore term

In medicine, dose means: The amount of a medicine taken or given at one time, for example 500 mg, often stated together with how often it is taken.

In Turkish: doz

How it is used

Doctors increase, reduce, adjust or titrate the dose and check the right dose for weight or kidney function. Phrases like 'loading dose', 'maximum dose' and 'missed dose' are common.

Example sentences

  1. We'll start with a low dose and increase it slowly.

  2. The dose needs adjusting because her kidney function has dropped.

Common collocations

  • low dose
  • increase the dose
  • loading dose
  • missed dose
  • dose adjustment
  • prescribeTo officially decide on and write down a medicine or treatment for a patient, so that they can get it from a pharmacy.
  • twice dailyTaken or given two times every day, usually in the morning and evening; one of the standard ways of writing how often a medicine is used.
  • side effectAn effect of a medicine or treatment that is not the main one intended, and is often unwanted, such as drowsiness or an upset stomach.
  • courseA set number of doses of a medicine, or sessions of treatment, given over a fixed period; also the way an illness develops over time.
  • PRNShort for the Latin 'pro re nata', meaning 'as needed': a medicine given only when the patient needs it, not at fixed times.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Prescriptions and Medication

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.