bolus

[boh-luh s] /ˈboʊ ləs/
noun, plural boluses.
1.
Pharmacology, Veterinary Medicine. a round mass of medicinal material, larger than an ordinary pill.
Abbreviation: bol.
2.
a soft, roundish mass or lump, especially of chewed food.
3.
bole2 .
Origin
1595-1605; < Late Latin bōlus clod of earth < Greek bôlos clod, lump; see bole2
British Dictionary definitions for bolus

bole2

/bəʊl/
noun
1.
a reddish soft variety of clay used as a pigment
2.
a moderate reddish-brown colour
Word Origin
C13: from Late Latin bōlus lump, from Greek bōlos

bolus

/ˈbəʊləs/
noun (pl) -luses
1.
a small round soft mass, esp of chewed food
2.
an intravenous injection of a single dose of a drug over a short period
3.
(obsolete) a large pill or tablet used in veterinary and clinical medicine
4.
another word for bole2
Word Origin
C17: from New Latin, from Greek bōlos clod, lump
bolus in Medicine

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.

Encyclopedia Article for 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.

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