dozen

dozen
[[t]dʌ̱z(ə)n[/t]]
♦♦
dozens
(The plural form is dozen after a number, or after a word or expression referring to a number, such as `several' or `a few'.)
1) NUM: usu a/num NUM If you have a dozen things, you have twelve of them.

...a dozen eggs...

You will be able to take ten dozen bottles free of duty through customs...

He ordered a dozen of their best red roses...

His chicken eggs sell for $22 a dozen.

2) NUM: usu a/num NUM You can refer to a group of approximately twelve things or people as a dozen. You can refer to a group of approximately six things or people as half a dozen.

I was sitting only a dozen feet away...

In half a dozen words, he had explained the bond that linked them...

The riot left four people dead and several dozen injured.

3) QUANT: QUANT of pl-n (emphasis) If you refer to dozens of things or people, you are emphasizing that there are very many of them.

...a storm which destroyed dozens of homes and buildings.

Syn:
loads of
PRON
You can also use dozens as a pronoun.

Just as revealing are Mr Johnson's portraits, of which there are dozens.


English dictionary. 2008.

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  • Dozen — Doz en (d[u^]z n), n.; pl. {Dozen} (before another noun), {Dozens} (d[u^]z nz). [OE. doseine, dosein, OF. doseine, F. douzaine, fr. douze twelve, fr. L. duodecim; duo two + decem ten. See {Two}, {Ten}, and cf. {Duodecimal}.] 1. A collection of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Dozen — Doz en (d[u^]z n), n.; pl. {Dozen} (before another noun), {Dozens} (d[u^]z nz). [OE. doseine, dosein, OF. doseine, F. douzaine, fr. douze twelve, fr. L. duodecim; duo two + decem ten. See {Two}, {Ten}, and cf. {Duodecimal}.] 1. A collection of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • dozen — doz‧en [ˈdʌzn] written abbreviation doz. noun dozens PLURALFORM or dozen [countable] a group of twelve things: • More than a dozen managers have come …   Financial and business terms

  • dozen — is a collective noun used in two ways, (1) as dozen, preceded by a numeral, meaning a unit of twelve (two dozen eggs), and (2) as dozens, in informal use, meaning ‘very many’ (We made dozens of mistakes) …   Modern English usage

  • dozen — ► NOUN (pl. same) ▪ a group or set of twelve. ● talk nineteen to the dozen Cf. ↑talk nineteen to the dozen DERIVATIVES dozenth adjective. ORIGIN Old French dozeine, from Latin duodecim twelve …   English terms dictionary

  • dozen — [duz′ən] n. pl. dozens or, esp. after a number, dozen [ME dozeine < OFr dozaine < douze, twelve < L duodecim, twelve < duo, TWO + decem, TEN] 1. a set of twelve: see also BAKER S DOZEN 2. [often pl.] a large number ☆ the do …   English World dictionary

  • dozen — c.1300, from O.Fr. dozaine a dozen, from doze (12c.) twelve, from L. duodecim twelve, from duo two + decem ten (see TEN (Cf. ten)). The O.Fr. fem. suffix aine is characteristically added to cardinals to form collectives in a precise sense (… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Dozen — (engl., spr. dösn), das Dutzend, als Zählgröße bei Stückgütern = 12, das long D. = 13 …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Dozen — Doz redirects here. For the Afro Asiatic language, see DOZ. Dozens redirects here. For other uses, see Dozens (disambiguation). Group of twelve redirects here. For other uses, see Group of Twelve (disambiguation). A dozen (common abbreviated doz… …   Wikipedia

  • dozen — 01. He bought about a [dozen] CDs yesterday during the one day sale. 02. Can you pick up a [dozen] eggs at the grocery store on the way home? 03. I picked up half a [dozen] bagels and some cream cheese to take on the picnic. 04. There were about… …   Grammatical examples in English

  • dozen — doz|en W3S2 [ˈdʌzən] number plural dozen or dozens written abbreviation doz. [Date: 1200 1300; : Old French; Origin: dozeine, from doze twelve ] 1.) twelve ▪ a dozen eggs …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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