doz ‧ en S2 W3 /ˈdʌz ə n/ BrE AmE number ( plural dozen or dozens ) ( written abbreviation doz. )
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: dozeine , from doze 'twelve' ]
1 . twelve:
a dozen eggs
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)