dozen

noun

doz·​en ˈdə-zᵊn 

plural dozens or dozen

1

: a group of 12

2

: an indefinitely large number

dozens of times

3

the dozens plural in form but singular in construction : a ritualized African American word game that consists of exchanging insults usually about the members of an opponent's family

dozen adjective

dozenth

ˈdə-zᵊn(t)th 

adjective

Synonyms

• abundance
• barrel
• basketful
• boatload
• bucket
• bunch
• bundle
• bushel
• carload
• chunk
• deal
• fistful
• gobs
• good deal
• heap
• hundred
• lashings [chiefly British]
• lashins
• loads
• lot
• mass
• mess
• mountain
• much
• multiplicity
• myriad
• oodles
• pack
• passel
• peck
• pile
• plateful
• plenitude
• plentitude
• plenty
• pot
• potful
• profusion
• quantity
• raft
• reams
• scads
• sheaf
• shipload
• sight
• slew
• spate
• stack
• store
• ton
• truckload
• volume
• wad
• wealth
• yard

Examples of dozen in a Sentence

dozens of new songs were auditioned and rejected

Recent Examples on the Web

But since misogynistic online communities aren’t localized, the discourse has spread to encompass dozens of countries and their specific attempts — or lack thereof — to counter radicalization. —Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 23 Mar. 2025

This active volcano is considered Central America's youngest, having first appeared in 1850 and erupted dozens of times since. —Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 23 Mar. 2025

Some 70 people showed up to the first picnic after June advertised it on social media, with dozens showing up the following year. —Catherine Nicholls, CNN, 23 Mar. 2025

Coolidge has also made dozens of appearances on TV and streaming, including starring turns in the Friends spinoff sitcom Joey, as well as Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s mystery thriller miniseries The Watcher. —Tim Lammers, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English dozeine, from Anglo-French duzeine, dozeyne, from duze twelve, from Latin duodecim, from duo two + decem ten — more at two, ten

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing dozen

• a dime a dozen
• baker's dozen
• daily dozen
• half a dozen
• half dozen
• it's six of one and half a dozen of the other
• it's six of one, half (a) dozen of the other
• several dozen
• talk nineteen to the dozen

Kids Definition

dozen

noun

doz·​en ˈdəz-ᵊn 

plural dozens or dozen

: a group of twelve

dozen adjective

dozenth

-ᵊn(t)th 

adjective

Etymology

Middle English dozeine "dozen," from early French dozeyne (same meaning), derived from Latin duodecim "twelve," from duo "two" and decem "ten" — related to decimal, dime, dual