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
Recent Examples on the WebThe Prize was founded by her father, ABBA manager Stig Anderson, in 1992 to honor the world’s greatest pop and classical musicians and the Polar Talks were added to the agenda about a dozen years ago. Fred Bronson, Variety, 24 May 2022 Every Tuesday in San Diego Central Courthouse, a dozen or so defendants who struggle with mental illness gather outside Davis’ 12th floor courtroom.San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2022 The comments came days after explosions at a Russian air base in Crimea apparently destroyed up to a dozen aircraft. Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 15 Aug. 2022 Most can hold about up to a dozen hats at a time; simply clip the fabric near the top button of the baseball cap. Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2022 The investigative technology was famously used in 2018 to crack the case of the Golden State Killer, who terrorized California in the 1970s and 1980s with up to a dozen murders, 45 rapes, and 120 home burglaries. Paul Best, Fox News, 26 July 2022 Prices for large eggs in the United States have surged to a record high of over $3 a dozen after an outbreak of avian flu beginning in January resulted in the deaths of more than 30 million commercial and wild birds.BostonGlobe.com, 20 July 2022 At this point the stories still land yet are a dime a dozen. Jeff Ewing, Forbes, 15 June 2022 Psychology and labor expert Allison Gabriel workers should redefine what their career looks like for them every dozen or so years in a field. Jasmine Browley, Essence, 5 July 2022 See More
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