Microdose

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. Ingesting a very small, sub-perceptual amount of a substance, often for purported therapeutic effects or to enhance creativity
2. Taking a diminutive quantity of a drug, particularly psychedelics, to experience minimal effects while avoiding full intoxication
3. Consuming an almost trivial dose of a compound with the aim of improving mood or productivity without significant psychoactive influence

Etymology: "Microdose" is a plain compound: "micro-" joined to "dose." The first element comes from Ancient Greek "mīkrós," meaning "small," which reached English through the combining form "micro-" and now appears in hundreds of technical terms. "Dose" comes from a Greek root meaning "a giving," borrowed into English via Latin and French. Put together, the word describes an amount of something so small it is barely a dose at all. The idea of taking a tiny amount of a psychoactive substance on purpose, rather than in a full dose, is what gives the word its current sense. Its use as a verb, "to microdose," follows the common English pattern of turning a noun into an action, so that someone can microdose on a given day, much as they might simply take a dose of medicine.

Synonyms: small dose, sub-perceptual dose