Etymology Map
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Dose

3 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means a measured quantity of medicine

Where does the word "dose" come from? It comes from Greek dosis, passing through French before entering English (1600s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
dosis
Greek · ancient
"a giving"
Greek, from 'didonai', to give
2
Stage 2 of 3
dose
French · 1400s
"dose"
came via Medieval Latin 'dosis'
3
Stage 3 of 3
dose
English · 1600s
"measured medicine"
'a dose of reality' dates from the 1900s
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Read the full story

Dose’s story begins in Greek: dosis meant “a giving.” Greek, from 'didonai', to give. By 1400s, the word had taken hold in French as dose. Came via Medieval Latin 'dosis'. It reached English by 1600s as dose. 'a dose of reality' dates from the 1900s. Today, dose means a measured quantity of medicine.