dozzina

dozen

noun dot-TSEE-nah Rare

Origin: From French 'douzaine', from 'douze' (twelve), from Latin 'duodecim'.

Usage Note

Dozzina means a set of twelve, like English 'dozen'. The phrase una dozzina di takes a partitive: una dozzina di uova (a dozen eggs). Figuratively, di dozzina means cheap, mediocre, or run-of-the-mill — a derogatory shade that 'dozen' lacks in English.

Examples

"Compro una dozzina di uova al mercato."

Natural Translation

I buy a dozen eggs at the market.

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