by the dozen

1. Also,. According to a definite quantity, as in She's buying tapes by the dozen. This usage is generally employed for some kind of rate. A 1950 film about efficiency expert Frank Gilbreth and his family was entitled Cheaper by the Dozen. [c. 1300]

Example Sentences

The Dreadnaught line was a long, narrow affair: a cold station by the exit door to the parking lot, a double-decker lobster steamer where we’d kill off the one-and-a-half and 2-pounders by the dozen, stacking them up like cordwood before slamming shut the heavy metal doors and turning the wheel, giving them the steam.

From Salon

I watched as deportees staggered off the bus by the dozen, the unmistakable waddle of men and women with their arms and legs shackled.

From Slate

Cranked out by the dozen, the shows turned their stars into household names across the Arab world.

From Los Angeles Times

An arraignment for the “Lucifer” and “Cheaper by the Dozen” actor has been scheduled for March 11.

From Los Angeles Times

“If you had told me, as the director of ‘Cheaper by the Dozen,’ that I would end up directing the most successful R-rated movie in history,” says director-producer-co-writer Shawn Levy, “I would have laughed in your face … but secretly been really f— thrilled.”

From Los Angeles Times