Skip to content

bolus

verb

  1. give a large one-time dose of drugs via IV
L1503173 on Wikidata ↗

noun

  1. administration of a discrete amount of medication within a specific time
  2. a small mass of a substance, especially of chewed food at the moment of swallowing
  3. material used in radiation therapy
L21649 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈbəʊləs/

noun

Etymology: From Late Latin bōlus (“clod of earth, lump”), plural bōlī, from Ancient Greek βῶλος (bôlos, “clod, lump”). Doublet of bole.

  1. A round mass of something, especially of chewed food in the mouth or alimentary canal.
  2. A single, large dose of a drug, especially one in that form.

    I gave him a bolus, twice the size of a gooseberry.

verb

Etymology: From Late Latin bōlus (“clod of earth, lump”), plural bōlī, from Ancient Greek βῶλος (bôlos, “clod, lump”). Doublet of bole.

  1. To administer (a drug) in bolus dosing, that is, dosing in (one or more) boluses.
  2. To take a bolus (dose) of insulin at a mealtime in order to control one's blood glucose level in diabetes.