Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Topic: MEASUREMENT

Date: 1200-1300
Language: Old French
Origin: dozeine, from doze 'twelve'

dozen

 number
     
doz‧en S2 W3 plural dozen or dozens written abbreviation doz.
1TM twelve:
two/three/four etc dozen (=24, 36, 48 etc)
The number of deaths has risen to more than two dozen.
dozens of people/companies/cars etc (=but not hundreds or thousands)
Dozens of people were killed.
Chris, Helen, and half a dozen others went on holiday together.
A dozen or so (=about 12) cars were parked near the entrance.
2 informal a lot of
a dozen
I've heard this story a dozen times before.
dozens of something
She's had dozens of boyfriends.
We collected dozens and dozens of shells on the beach.
➔ baker's dozen

; ➔ a dime a dozen

at dime (2)

; ➔ nineteen to the dozen

at nineteen (2)

; ➔ six of one and half a dozen of another

at six (4)
Definition of dozen from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English within
the topic MEASUREMENT
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