/ ˈdʌzn; NAmE / noun , determiner ( pl. dozen )
1.
[ C ] ( abbr. doz. ) a group of twelve of the same thing :
Give me a dozen, please.
two dozen eggs
three dozen red roses
—see also baker's dozen
2.
[ C ] a group of approximately twelve people or things :
several dozen / a few dozen people
The company employs no more than a couple of dozen people.
Only about half a dozen people turned up.
There was only space for a half-dozen tables.
3.
dozens [ pl. ] dozen (of sth) ( informal ) a lot of people or things :
They arrived in dozens (= in large numbers) .
I've been there dozens of times.
•
IDIOMS
see dime , nineteen , six
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French dozeine , based on Latin duodecim twelve.