Dozen

From WikiMD's Food, Medicine & Wellness Encyclopedia

Dozen is a grouping unit that is commonly used in many parts of the world. The term is derived from the Old French word douzaine, which is a derivative of the Latin word duodecim, meaning twelve. The use of dozen as a unit of measurement is prevalent in many aspects of daily life, including commerce, cooking, and other areas where counting or measuring is required.

Etymology[edit | edit source]

The term dozen originates from the Old French douzaine, which is a derivative of the Latin word duodecim, meaning twelve. The use of the term in English dates back to the late 13th century. The term is used to denote a group or set of twelve.

Usage[edit | edit source]

The use of dozen as a unit of measurement is prevalent in many aspects of daily life. In commerce, items are often sold in dozens or multiples thereof. This is particularly common in markets and grocery stores, where items such as eggs and rolls are typically sold in dozens.

In cooking, the term dozen is often used to measure ingredients. For example, a recipe might call for a dozen eggs or a dozen apples. This allows for easy scaling of recipes, as the number of servings can be easily adjusted by changing the number of dozens used.

In other areas, the term dozen is used to denote a group or set of twelve. This can be seen in phrases such as "a baker's dozen", which refers to thirteen items instead of the usual twelve.

Related Terms[edit | edit source]

  • Baker's dozen: A baker's dozen refers to thirteen items instead of the usual twelve. The term is believed to have originated in medieval England, where bakers would add an extra item to a dozen to avoid being penalized for selling underweight bread.
  • Gross (unit): A gross is a unit of measurement that is equal to twelve dozen, or 144 items. The term is derived from the French word grosse douzaine, meaning large dozen.
  • Wine dozen: A wine dozen refers to a set of twelve bottles of wine. This term is commonly used in the wine industry, where bottles are often sold in dozens.
Dozen Resources
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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD