megadose

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/ˈmɛɡəˌdəʊs//ˈmɛɡəˌdoʊs/

noun

A dose of drug or vitamin far exceeding the normal or recommended amount, and usually given intentionally. Compare overdose.

OriginEnglish dose ← Ancient Greek μέγᾰς (mégăs) ← Proto-Hellenic *mégas →
Scrabble 12
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Meanings

nounmegadose (plural megadoses)

plural megadoses

  1. A dose of drug or vitamin far exceeding the normal or recommended amount, and usually given intentionally. Compare overdose.

    [F]rom biblical times [...] to modern times when men are served megadoses of vitamin E for breakfast, women too have been interested in the potency of popular potions.

    1987, Kerry Cue, Hang On To Your Horses Doovers, page 91
verbmegadose (third-person singular simple present megadoses, present participle megadosing, simple past and past participle megadosed)

present singular third person megadoses · participle present megadosing · participle past megadosed · past megadosed

  1. transitiveTo dose (a patient) with a very large amount of a drug.
  2. transitiveTo dose with a very large amount of (a drug).

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*méǵh₂s
  2. Proto-Hellenic*mégas
  3. Ancient Greekμέγᾰς (mégăs)
  4. Englishmega-
  5. Englishdose
  6. Englishmegadose

From mega- + dose.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

megadose. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/megadose

MLA

“megadose.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/megadose. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “megadose,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/megadose.

Source: megadose on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.