Dozen vs. Few — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Dozen and Few
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Compare with Definitions
Dozen
A dozen (commonly abbreviated doz or dz) is a grouping of twelve. The dozen may be one of the earliest primitive integer groupings, perhaps because there are approximately a dozen cycles of the Moon, or months, in a cycle of the Sun, or year.
Few
Amounting to or consisting of a small number
One of my few bad habits. See Usage Note at less.
Dozen
Pl. dozen Abbr. doz. or dz. A set of 12.
Few
Being more than one but indefinitely small in number
Bowled a few strings.
Dozen
Dozens An indefinite, large number
Dozens of errands to run.
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Few
An indefinitely small number of persons or things
A few of the books have torn jackets.
Dozen
Twelve.
Few
An exclusive or limited number
The discerning few.
The fortunate few.
Dozen
A set of twelve.
Can I have a dozen eggs, please?
I ordered two dozen doughnuts.
There shouldn't be more than two dozen Christmas cards left to write.
Pack the shirts in dozens, please.
Few
(preceded by another determiner) An indefinite, but usually small, number of.
There are a few cars (=some, but a relatively small number) in the street.
Quite a few people (=a significant number) were pleasantly surprised.
I think he's had a few drinks. [This usage is likely ironic.]
Dozen
A large, unspecified number of, comfortably estimated in small multiples of twelve, thus generally implied to be significantly more than ten or twelve, but less than perhaps one or two hundred; many.
There must have been dozens of examples just on the first page.
There were dozens and dozens of applicants before the job was posted.
Few
(used alone) Not many; a small (in comparison with another number stated or implied) but somewhat indefinite number of.
There are very few people who understand quantum theory.
I was expecting a big crowd at the party, but very few people (=almost none) turned up.
Dozen
(metallurgy) An old English measure of ore containing 12 hundredweight.
Few
Obscuring one to two oktas (eighths) of the sky.
Tonight: A few clouds. Increasing cloudiness overnight.
NOAA definition of the term "few clouds": An official sky cover classification for aviation weather observations, descriptive of a sky cover of 1/8 to 2/8. This is applied only when obscuring phenomena aloft are present--that is, not when obscuring phenomena are surface-based, such as fog.
Dozen
(bingo) twelve
Few
(US?) Having a 10 percent chance of measurable precipitation (0.01 inch); used interchangeably with isolated.
Dozen
A collection of twelve objects; a tale or set of twelve; with or without of before the substantive which follows.
Few
Few people, few things.
Many are called, but few are chosen.
Dozen
An indefinite small number.
Few
Not many; small, limited, or confined in number; - indicating a small portion of units or individuals constituting a whole; often, by ellipsis of a noun, a few people.
Few know and fewer care.
Dozen
The cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
Few
An indefinite but relatively small number;
They bought a case of beer and drank a few
Dozen
Denoting a quantity consisting of 12 items or units
Few
A small elite group;
It was designed for the discriminating few
Few
A quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by `a'; a small but indefinite number;
A few weeks ago
A few more wagons than usual
An invalid's pleasures are few and far between
Few roses were still blooming
Few women have led troops in battle
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