twelve

English dictionary entry

Meanings

num

The cardinal number occurring after eleven and before thirteen, represented in Arabic numerals as 12 and in Roman numerals as XII.

noun

A group of twelve items.
A twelve-bore gun.
A jury (normally composed of twelve persons).
The police; law enforcement, especially a narcotics officer.
Front (front side of something, position in front of something).

Pronunciation

twĕlv /twɛlv/ [tʰw̥ɛɫv] twûlv twəlv /twɜːlv/ [tʰw̥əːɫv] /twəlv/ [tʰw̥əɫv] /twelv/ [tʰw̥eɫv] [tʰw̥əːʊ̯v] [tʰw̥əʊ̯v] [tʰw̥eʊ̯v] twĕv /twɛv/ [tʰw̥ɛv] en-us-twelve.ogg

Word forms

twelve 12 XII twelue twelves

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”).

Synonyms

twelveteen

Related words

twelfth Last: eleven. Next: thirteen dozen

Derived words

feel twelve feet tall grade twelve it's better to be judged by twelve than to be carried by six twelve-bar blues twelve bar blues twelve godfathers twelve good men and true twelve hundred twelve-inch Twelve Mile Twelve Mile Creek Twelve Mile Lake twelve-nine twelve-note twelve-ounce curls twelve penny nail twelve-penny nail twelve-pounder twelvesome twelve-speed twelve stepper twelve-stepper twelve-step program twelve-tone twelve-tone technique

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