Words / A2

DUZN/ˈdʌzn/

A dozen is twelve: a dozen eggs, half a dozen, dozens of tourists (informal = lots). Twelve is the number. Doze means sleep lightly — mix-up. Do not write dozen when you mean doze, or thousand as if it were the same size.

Meaning

A group of twelve.

Examples

• “We bought a dozen postcards at the station shop.”
• “A dozen bottles will not fit in one small rucksack.”
• “We asked for half a dozen stamps at the post office.”

Good to know

a dozen = 12; half a dozen = 6. Informal: dozens of. Mix-up: doze.

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