twelve
numeralnouncommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//twɛlv//
- United Kingdom/[tʰw̥ɛɫv]/
- Australia//twɜːlv/ [tʰw̥əːɫv]/
- Australia//twəlv/ [tʰw̥əɫv]/
- Australia//twelv/ [tʰw̥eɫv]/
The cardinal number occurring after eleven and before thirteen, represented in Arabic numerals as 12 and in Roman numerals as XII.
numeral
- 1
The cardinal number occurring after eleven and before thirteen, represented in Arabic numerals as 12 and in Roman numerals as XII.
There are twelve months in a year.
Hopper points out that duodecads have been prominent in every ancient civilization and cites as examples twelve spokes in the wheel of the Hindu Rta, the twelve gates of hell where Egyptian Ra must spend the twelve hours of night, the twelve tribes of Israel, the twelve labors of Hercules, [...]
Etymology
From Middle English twelve, from Old English twelf (“twelve”), from Proto-Germanic *twalif, an old compound of *twa- (“two”) and *-lif (“left over”) (i.e., two left over after having already counted to ten), from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (“leave, remain”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian tweelf, tweelif, tweelich (“twelve”), West Frisian tolve (“twelve”), Dutch twaalf (“twelve”), German Low German twalf, twalv (“twelve”), German zwölf (“twelve”), Danish, Swedish and Norwegian tolv (“twelve”), Icelandic tólf (“twelve”).
noun
- 1
A group of twelve items.
Fractions would be a little easier if we counted by twelves.
- 2
A twelve-bore gun.
In this way Von Esslin ‘inherited’ two fine hammerless twelves which he used once or twice for duck on the Camargue.
- 3
A jury (normally composed of twelve persons).
- 4
slangThe police; law enforcement, especially a narcotics officer.
- 5
slangFront (front side of something, position in front of something).
watch your twelve
For quotations using this term, see Citations:twelve.
Forms
- plural
- twelves
twelve · The cardinal number occurring after eleven and before thirteen, represented in Arabic numerals as 12 and in Roman numerals as XII.
twenties · The third decade of a century: the 1820s, 1920s, 2020s, etc.twenty · The cardinal number 20, occurring after nineteen and before…Twenty · A hamlet in Bourne parish, South Kesteven district,…