Where does “overdose” come from?
Overdose comes from English over- plus dose, where dose derives from Middle French dose, Old Greek δόσις meaning "a giving," from δίδωμι meaning "to give," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European upo meaning "under" or "up from under."
overdose (English): An excessive and dangerous dose of a drug; To...
Definitions
- An excessive and dangerous dose of a drug; To...
Ancestry of “overdose”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Over- | — |
| 2 | English | over | Discontinued; ended or concluded; Thoroughly;... |
| 3 | Middle English | over | riverbank, seashore, brink |
| 4 | Old English | ōfer | riverbank, seashore, brink, edge, margin, border |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | obar | over, above |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | uber | over; over, above |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | upér | above; over |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | upó | under, below |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ewp- | — |
Words derived from “overdose”