dozen
oxford
views updated May 23 2018doz·en / ˈdəzən/ (abbr.: dz.) •
n. 1. (pl. same) a group or set of twelve: a dozen bottles of sherry. ∎ (dozens) inf. a lot: she has dozens of admirers.2. (the dozens) an exchange of insults engaged in as a game or ritual among black Americans.PHRASES: by the dozen in large quantities.DERIVATIVES: doz·enth / ˈdəzən[unvoicedth]/ adj.
The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English
dozen
oxford
views updated May 11 2018dozen XIII. ME. dozein(e) — OF. dozeine, -aine (mod. douzaine); Rom. deriv. with -ēna (as in L. decēna, centēna, etc. group of 10, 100, etc.), f. *do(t)ze :- *dōdece :- L. duodecim 12, f. duo TWO + decem TEN.
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD
dozen
oxford
views updated May 11 2018dozen a group or set of twelve. Recorded from Middle English, the word comes ultimately (via Old French) from Latin duodecim ‘twelve’.
See also baker's dozen, devil's dozen.
The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ELIZABETH KNOWLES
Dozen
gale
views updated May 21 2018Dozen
a collection of twelve objects; also an indefinite small number.
Examples: dozen of ale, 1677; of beer, 1893; of bread, 1574; of wine; of wonders, 1340.
Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms
