literal terms for dosage

I am trying to understand the exact meaning of dose.

A dose means a portion or quantity but then saying take 5mil is not a dose but a precise quantity.
A dose is a rough estimation and can be anything between 1 to xmil depending on who is doing what.
Is the term dose already suggesting the ''too much'' until the doctor gives the right amount in mils


To overdose does not make sense because by saying dose one is already suggesting it might be too much?!
as in the google definition:

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''Administer a dose to (a person or animal): "he dosed himself with vitamins''

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Could the term ''dozy'' come from dosage and means drowsy. The word dose is in the word drowsy.

The opposite of overdose should be underdose but then it can't be because there is no concept of underdosing?!

A dose does not mean a portion or quantity, a medical dose is a prescribed portion (i.e. half a pill twice daily) or quantity (2 pills twice daily).

To overdose clearly derives from the conventional understanding of a dosage as a safe prescribed amount of a drug, thus an overdose is implied to be caused by taking more than the recommended dosage.

And it is not connected to the word drowsy, it comes from the Latin word dosis, meaning 'something given'.

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Originally Posted by OrphanPip

A dose does not mean a portion or quantity, a medical dose is a prescribed portion (i.e. half a pill twice daily) or quantity (2 pills twice daily).

To overdose clearly derives from the conventional understanding of a dosage as a safe prescribed amount of a drug, thus an overdose is implied to be caused by taking more than the recommended dosage.

And it is not connected to the word drowsy, it comes from the Latin word dosis, meaning 'something given'.

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and underdose?

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Originally Posted by cacian

and underdose?

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taking less than the recommended dosage.

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Originally Posted by papayahed

taking less than the recommended dosage.

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Without the same effect as an overdose which is over the limits.
How does a physiological body overdose?
Isn't the body physiologically programmed to not overdose?