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View synonyms for

dozen

1

[ duhz-uhn ]

noun

plural dozens, (as after a numeral) dozen.
  1. a group of 12.
  2. the dozens, Slang. a ritualized game typically engaged in by two persons each of whom attempts to outdo the other in insults directed against members of the other's family (usually used in the phrase play the dozens ).


adjective

dozen

2

[ doh-zuhn ]

verb (used with object)

Scot.
  1. to stun.

dozen

/ ˈʌə /

determiner

  1. preceded bya or a numeral
    1. twelve or a group of twelve

      a dozen eggs

      two dozen oranges

    2. ( as pronoun; functioning as sing or plural )

      give me a dozen

      there are at least a dozen who haven't arrived yet

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. by the dozen
    in large quantities
  2. talk nineteen to the dozen
    to talk without stopping
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈdzԳٳ, adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of dozen1

1250–1300; Middle English dozeine < Old French do ( u ) zaine, equivalent to do ( u ) ze (< Latin duodecim ) + -aine (< Latin ) -an

Origin of dozen2

1325–75; Middle English (Scots); doze 1
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Word History and Origins

Origin of dozen1

C13: from Old French douzaine, from douze twelve, from Latin duodecim, from duo two + decem ten
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

“And en masse, dozens and now over 100 attorneys decided that they’d rather not do what their job requires them to do.”

From

This month, whales have died in Long Beach and Huntington Beach from the toxin and dozens of pelicans have become ill, with their offspring on the brink of starvation.

From

Houthi-run authorities have said strikes have killed dozens of civilians, but they have reported few casualties among the group's members.

From

Nadine manages nearly a dozen direct reports from New York, most of whom live in different cities.

From

County, which ran dozens of facilities that confined and cared for juveniles, the law kickstarted a deluge of litigation that still hasn’t stopped.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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dozeddozens