noun
dozen
DUH-zuhn
noun
1
A group of twelve.
"She bought a dozen eggs at the market."
"He ordered two dozen doughnuts for the office."
2
An unspecified but fairly large number; many (used loosely, not literally twelve).
"I've told you a dozen times to lock the door."
How to Use Dozen
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTwelve of something, or, loosely, "a good few."
Common mistake
"Dozens of" means a large, vague number, not literally multiples of twelve — don't read it too literally.
Common pairings
a dozen eggs
dozens of times
baker's dozen
Word Forms
dozens plural, dozen plural, dozens plural
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Etymology
From Old French dozaine, "a group of twelve," from Latin duodecim ("twelve").