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bolus

 - 8 dictionary results

bo⋅lus

  [boh-luhs]
Use bolus in a Sentence
–noun, plural -lus⋅es.
1. Pharmacology, Veterinary Medicine. a round mass of medicinal material, larger than an ordinary pill. Abbreviation: bol.
2. a soft, roundish mass or lump, esp. of chewed food.
3. bole 2 .
Origin:
1595–1605; < LL bōlus clod of earth < Gk bôlos clod, lump; see bole 2

bole

2  [bohl]
–noun
1. any of a variety of soft, unctuous clays of various colors, used as pigments.
2. a medium red-brown color made from such clay.
Also, bolus.

Origin:
1350–1400; ME bol < LL bōlus lump; see bolus
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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bo·lus   (bō'ləs)   
n.   pl. bo·lus·es

  1. A round mass: "A dense bolus of trapped dolphins fills the frame" (Kenneth Browser).

    1. A single, relatively large quantity of a substance, such as a dose of a drug, intended for therapeutic use and taken orally.

    2. A concentrated mass of a substance administered intravenously for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.

  3. A soft mass of chewed food within the mouth or alimentary canal.


[Medieval Latin bōlus, from Greek bōlos, lump of earth.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
bolus [ˈboləs]

  1. n.
    a physician. (From the Latin name for a pill.) : The bolus kept trying to get me to lose weight.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

bole 
c.1314, from O.N. bolr "tree trunk," from P.Gmc. *bulas, from PIE *bhel- "to blow, swell" (cf. Gk. phyllon "leaf," phallos "swollen penis;" L. flos "flower," florere "to blossom, flourish," folium "leaf;" O.Prus. balsinis "cushion;" O.N. belgr "bag, bellows;" O.E. bolla "pot, cup, bowl;" O.Ir. bolgaim "I swell," blath "blossom, flower," bolach "pimple," bolg "bag;" Bret. bolc'h "flax pod;" Serb. buljiti "to stare, be bug-eyed;" Serbo-Croat. blazina "pillow").
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: bo·lus
Pronunciation: 'bO-l&s
Function: noun
1 : a rounded mass: as a : a large pill b : asoft mass of chewed food
2 : a dose of a substance (as a drug) given intravenously specifically : a large dose given for the purpose of rapidly achieving the neededtherapeutic concentration in the bloodstream —compare LOADING DOSE
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

bolus bo·lus (bō'ləs)
n. pl. bo·lus·es

  1. A round mass.

  2. A round medicinal preparation, such as a large pill or tablet, that is usually of a soft consistency and not prepackaged.

  3. A soft mass of chewed food within the mouth or alimentary canal.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Encyclopedia

bolus

food that has been chewed and mixed in the mouth with saliva. Chewing helps to reduce food particles to a size readily swallowed; saliva adds digestive enzymes, water, and mucus that help chemically to reduce food particles, hydrate them for taste, and lubricate them for easy swallowing. The term bolus applies to this mixture of food and solutions until they are passed into the stomach. Once the bolus reaches the stomach, mixes with gastric juices, and becomes reduced in size, the food mass becomes known as chyme.

Learn more about bolus with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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