twelve

[twelv]

noun

1. a cardinal number, 10 plus 2.

2. a symbol for this number, as 12 or XII.

3. a set of this many persons or things.

4. the Twelve, the 12 apostles chosen by Christ.

adjective

1. amounting to 12 in number.

twelve

/ twɛlv /

noun

1. the cardinal number that is the sum of ten and two See also number

2. a numeral, 12, XII, etc, representing this number

3. something represented by, representing, or consisting of 12 units

4. Also called: twelve o'clock. noon or midnight

determiner

1. 1. amounting to twelve

      twelve loaves

   2. ( as pronoun ) See also dozen

      twelve have arrived

Word History and Origins

Origin of twelve¹

before 900; Middle English twelve, inflected form of twelf, Old English twelfe literally, (ten and) two leave, i.e., two left over; cognate with Old Frisian twelef, twelf, Old High German zwelif, Old Norse tōlf, Gothic twalif; compare Lithuanian dvýlika; two, leave ¹, eleven

Word History and Origins

Origin of twelve¹

Old English twelf ; related to Old Frisian twelif , Old High German zwelif , Old Norse tolf , Gothic twalif

Example Sentences

The former BBC 5 Live journalist and podcaster was experiencing pelvic organ prolapse - a condition that affects around one in twelve women, but which many have never even heard of.

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I was 21, barely old enough to buy the champagne for mimosas, but somehow old enough to think I could pull off homemade biscuits, jam, cinnamon rolls and quiche for twelve.

Read more on Salon

Total deployments—or money invested—in the past twelve months rose to 24.9 billion euros from 20.4 billion euros a year prior, and most of this went to private equity and debt financing, it said.

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Each pack includes twelve pieces of buttery puff pastry filled with creamy feta and cream cheese that’s topped with caramelized onions.

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But to persuade you of that, the government will want to look more convincingly in control than in its first twelve months.

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