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half-dozen

American  
[half-duhz-uhn, hahf-] / ˈhælfˈdʌz ən, ˈhɑf- /

noun

  1. one half of a dozen; six.

adjective

  1. considering six as a unit; consisting of six.

half-dozen British  

determiner

  1. (preceded by a)

    1. six or a group of six

      a half-dozen roses

    2. ( as pronoun; functioning as singular or plural )

      at least a half-dozen
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of half-dozen

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.