How many is 1 dozen? Definition and real life examples


How many is 1 dozen? 1 dozen is a set of 12 items. For example, 1 dozen hearts is equal to 12 hearts as you can see below. 

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The word dozen came from the french word douzaine and the abbreviation for dozen is doz or dz

Examples of things that come in 1 dozen

When you buy eggs at a supermarket, the egg carton usually has 1 dozen eggs

1 dozen eggs
  • Roses come in 1 dozen
  • Donuts at Dunkin' Donuts usually come in 1 dozen
  • The months of the year come in 1 dozen

Interesting fact about a baker's dozen. How many is 1 dozen for a baker?

Interestingly, a baker's dozen is not equal to 12. It is equal to 13. The story behind it is that since some loaves of bread were shorter than others, the baker will add an extra loaf of bread to make sure that you get the proper amount. 

This was common practice in England in the 13th century. King Henry III passed a strict law stating that if the weight of the 12 loaves of bread was less than what it is supposed to be, a baker could go to jail. Therefore, some bakers will often give 13 loaves of bread instead of 12 to avoid jail time.

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