dozen

IPA/ˈdʌz.ən/
KK[dˈʌzən]IPA/ˈdʌz.ən/

dozen — noun

  • dozensingular
  • dozensplural

1. a very large number or amount of people or things, used when saying that somethi

1.nounB1
Definition

a very large number or amount of people or things, used when saying that something exists in great quantities — often more than expected or desired.

Example

Eric found dozens of old photographs in his grandmother's attic while cleaning it out.

dozens of + [noun]

Eve has visited that temple dozens of times over the past ten years.

dozens of times

Common collocations
  • dozens of times
  • dozens of people
  • dozens of books
  • dozens of photographs
Synonyms
  • lots of

    more informal and neutral; 'dozens of' emphasizes that the quantity is large enough to count in groups of twelve

  • countless

    stronger; implies too many to count, while 'dozens of' is usually an exaggeration for effect

Antonyms
  • a few

    a small number; opposite end of the quantity spectrum

Grammar Patterns

dozens of + [noun]

Usage Note

This sense ONLY works in the plural form "dozens" followed by "of". You cannot say "a dozen of people" to mean many people. The singular forms ("a dozen", "two dozen") refer to exact or approximate groups of twelve, not large quantities.

Common Mistakes

Dozen of people came to the event.
Dozens of people came to the event.
the plural 's' and 'of' are both required for the 'many' meaning.
I have dozens apples.
I have dozens of apples.
'of' must follow 'dozens' before the noun.

2. a set or group of twelve identical or similar items of the same kind — for examp

2.nounA2
Definition

a set or group of twelve identical or similar items of the same kind — for example, a dozen eggs, a dozen roses, or half a dozen donuts.

Example

Jack bought a dozen roses for his mother's birthday celebration.

a dozen + [noun]: a dozen roses

Tamás used a recipe that called for half a dozen eggs and some sugar.

half a dozen + [noun]

Common collocations
  • a dozen eggs
  • half a dozen
  • two dozen
  • by the dozen
Synonyms
  • twelve

    used when the focus is on the number itself rather than the group; 'twelve eggs' vs 'a dozen eggs' — the latter feels more natural for packaged sets

Grammar Patterns

[number] + dozen + [noun]

half a dozen + [noun]

Usage Note

After a specific number, "dozen" stays singular: "two dozen eggs" (NOT "two dozens eggs"). When used before a noun directly ("a dozen eggs"), no "of" is needed — this is called an attributive use.

Common Mistakes

I bought two dozens of eggs.
I bought two dozen eggs.
after a number or quantifier, "dozen" does not take a plural "s".
I have a dozen of apples.
I have a dozen apples.
no "of" when directly modifying a noun.

3. a quantity of roughly twelve people or things, used when the exact number is not

3.nounB1
Definition

a quantity of roughly twelve people or things, used when the exact number is not important or not known precisely.

Example

Faisal saw several dozen people waiting outside the concert hall before the doors opened.

several dozen + [noun]

Apinya counted about a dozen chairs in the meeting room, though some were broken.

about a dozen + [noun]

Common collocations
  • several dozen
  • a few dozen
  • about a dozen
  • a dozen or so
Synonyms
  • about twelve

    more explicit about the approximate nature; 'dozen' alone can sound precise

  • roughly a dozen

    makes the approximation even clearer; slightly more informal

Grammar Patterns

[quantifier] + dozen + [noun]

about a dozen + [noun]

Usage Note

With "several dozen", "a few dozen", or "a dozen or so", the following noun has no "of": "several dozen people" (not "several dozen of people"). The quantity is understood to be roughly, not exactly, twelve times the number.

Common Mistakes

I saw a dozen people' (when you actually mean about twelve but are unsure).
I saw about a dozen people' or 'I saw a dozen or so people.
for an approximate meaning, use a hedge word.

4. the number that is one more than eleven, used as a name for the quantity 12 in c

4.nounA2
Definition

the number that is one more than eleven, used as a name for the quantity 12 in counting or arithmetic.

Example

A baker's dozen is thirteen pieces, not twelve like a regular dozen.

one dozen = the number 12; baker's dozen = 13

Sofia packed exactly one dozen cookies into each gift box for the holiday sale.

one dozen = exactly 12 items

Common collocations
  • one dozen
  • a full dozen
  • equals a dozen
Synonyms
  • twelve

    the ordinary number word; used in most everyday contexts where "dozen" is possible but less natural

Grammar Patterns

[number word] dozen

one dozen

Usage Note

The word "twelve" is far more common than "dozen" when referring to the pure number. "Dozen" is normally used for groups of items rather than the number itself.

Common Mistakes

There are dozen people in the room' (when meaning exactly twelve).
There are a dozen people in the room.
"dozen" needs a determiner like "a" when counting a specific group.
Idioms

a dime a dozen

idiom

very common and therefore not considered special or valuable — used to describe things that are so plentiful that they have little worth.

In this city, coffee shops are a dime a dozen on almost every street corner.

Faisal said that players with his level of skill are a dime a dozen in the league.

six of one and half a dozen of the other

idiom

used to say that there is very little real difference between two possible choices or options, so it does not matter which one you pick.

Ziad said that taking the bus or the subway was six of one and half a dozen of the other.

The restaurant choices all looked similar to the group, so it was six of one and half a dozen of the other.

talk nineteen to the dozen

idiom

to talk very quickly and without stopping, usually because you are excited, nervous, or eager to share news.

When Yuki gets excited about Japanese history, she talks nineteen to the dozen for an hour.

The two old friends sat on the porch and talked nineteen to the dozen all afternoon.

it’s six of one and half a dozen of the other

idiom

Used to say that two options are equally good or bad, so there is no real difference between them.

Whether we go by bus or train, it's six of one and half a dozen of the other.

Choosing between the two jobs is hard; it's six of one and half a dozen of the other.

talk, etc. nineteen to the dozen

idiom

To speak very quickly and without stopping.

Grandma was talking nineteen to the dozen about her trip.

The children chattered nineteen to the dozen all morning.

Word family

  • dozens
    nounB1
  • dozenth
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five expressions indicate a large quantity, but they differ in formality and strength. "Dozens of" suggests a quantity large enough to be counted in groups of twelve — often an exaggeration for effect ("I've told you dozens of times"). "Lots of" is the most informal and general, common in everyday speech. "Numerous" is more formal and neutral, fitting written reports or academic contexts. "Countless" is the strongest — it implies the quantity is too large to count, often used for dramatic effect ("countless stars"). "Many" is the simplest and most neutral, working in both formal and informal settings. For example: "Many guests arrived early" sounds plain; "Dozens of guests arrived early" adds size; "Countless guests arrived early" is hyperbolic.

dozens of ↗lots ofnumerous ↗countless ↗many ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

Prepositions

  • by the dozen

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word "dozen" comes from Old French "dozaine" (a group of twelve), which was formed from "doze" (twelve) plus the suffix "-aine" (indicating a group or set). "Doze" itself came from Latin "duodecim" (duo = two + decem = ten). The word first appeared in English around the 13th century, and over time it developed the broader uses for approximate quantities and large numbers.

First known use

14th century

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1