Definitions for dozen
ˈdʌz əndozen

Princeton's WordNet(3.50 / 4 votes)Rate this definition:

1. twelve, 12, XII, dozenadjective

   the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one

2. twelve, 12, xii, dozenadjective

   denoting a quantity consisting of 12 items or units

Wiktionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. dozennoun

   A set of twelve.

   Etymology: From douzaine, from duodecim, from duo + decem

2. dozennoun

   A large, unspecified number of, comfortably estimated in small multiples of twelve, thus generally implied to be significantly more than ten or twelve, but less than perhaps one or two hundred; many.

   Etymology: From douzaine, from duodecim, from duo + decem

3. dozennoun

   An old English measure of ore containing 12 hundredweight.

   Etymology: From douzaine, from duodecim, from duo + decem

Webster Dictionary(4.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Dozen

   of Dozen

   Etymology: [OE. doseine, dosein, OF. doseine, F. douzaine, fr. douze twelve, fr. L. duodecim; duo two + decem ten. See Two, Ten, and cf. Duodecimal.]

2. Dozennoun

   a collection of twelve objects; a tale or set of twelve; with or without of before the substantive which follows

   Etymology: [OE. doseine, dosein, OF. doseine, F. douzaine, fr. douze twelve, fr. L. duodecim; duo two + decem ten. See Two, Ten, and cf. Duodecimal.]

3. Dozennoun

   an indefinite small number

   Etymology: [OE. doseine, dosein, OF. doseine, F. douzaine, fr. douze twelve, fr. L. duodecim; duo two + decem ten. See Two, Ten, and cf. Duodecimal.]

Freebase(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Dozen

   A dozen is a grouping of twelve. The dozen may be one of the earliest primitive groupings, perhaps because there are approximately a dozen cycles of the moon or months in a cycle of the sun or year. Twelve is convenient because its multiples and divisors are convenient: 12 = 2 × 2 × 3, 3 × 4 = 12, 2 × 6 = 12, 60 = 12 × 5, 360 = 12 × 30. The use of twelve as a base number, known as the duodecimal system, probably originated in Mesopotamia. This could come from counting on one's fingers by counting each finger bone with one's thumb. Using this method, one hand can count to twelve, and two hands can count to 144. Twelve dozen are known as a gross; and twelve gross are called a great gross, a term most often used when shipping or buying items in bulk. A great hundred, also known as a small gross, is 120 or ten dozen. A baker's dozen, also known as a long dozen, is thirteen.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Dozen

   duz′n, adj. two and ten, or twelve.—n. a collection of twelve articles.—adj. Doz′enth.—Baker's dozen, Devil's dozen, thirteen. [O. Fr. dozeine—L. duodecim—duo, two, and decem, ten.]

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'dozen' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #3738

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'dozen' in Written Corpus Frequency: #2355

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'dozen' in Nouns Frequency: #1222

Anagrams for dozen »

1. zoned

2. zendo

How to pronounce dozen?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say dozen in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of dozen in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of dozen in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of dozen in a Sentence

1. President Francois Hollande:

   It covers 20 projects. If these projects are finalised then that will represent several dozen billions of euros.

2. Robin Vida:

   We're a local health department of 50 staff that cover five different key areas of public health, so when we look at our immunization team, we're talking about less than a dozen people.

3. Steve Bell:

   It is unfortunate that of the nearly two dozen candidates running for president today, virtually none of them have placed a focus on this important issue.

4. President Trump:

   Japan's insistence on this in the Six Party Talks (in the 2000s) was one of the factors that eventually led to a breakdown in those talks, many people wondered why the fate of a few dozen Japanese was more important than getting North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons.

5. Joe Biden:

   In a single act in Sacramento, six individuals left dead and at least a dozen more injured, families forever changed. Survivors left to heal wounds both visible and invisible.

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