dozen
Meaning
A group of twelve things.
(dozens, informal) A lot of things.
Usage
She bought a dozen eggs from the market.
I've told you dozens of times to be careful.
The baker prepared several dozen pastries for the event.
Etymology
The word 'dozen' has a clear numerical lineage, originating from the Latin duodecim, meaning "two and ten" or twelve. It entered English via the Old French dozaine, a collective suffix formation indicating a group. The modern spelling and pronunciation were solidified in Middle English, streamlining the French form. While its components (duo- for two and -decim for ten) are traceable to Latin, the word itself is now an unanalyzable, fossilized unit in English representing the specific quantity of twelve.
Analysis
The word is a simplex unit derived from Old French dozaine, which itself came from Latin duodecim (twelve). It functions as a single, indivisible lexical morpheme in modern English.