eleven

[ih-lev-uh n]

noun

a cardinal number, ten plus one.
a symbol for this number, as 11 or XI.
a set of this many persons or things, as a football team.

adjective

amounting to eleven in number.

Origin of eleven

before 900; Middle English elleven(e), Old English ellefne, endleofan; cognate with Old High German einlif (German elf), Old Norse ellifu, Gothic ainlib-, literally, one remaining (after counting 10). See one, leave¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for eleven

Contemporary Examples of eleven

One morning at about eleven, he announces his intention as though it's truly an unusual thought: “Let's have a little drink.”
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days
David Freeman
December 13, 2014
Yet the undocumented population remains upwards eleven million.
Legal but Still Poor: The Economic Consequences of Amnesty
Joel Kotkin
November 21, 2014
Eleven thousand aircraft would bomb preparation and give them air cover.
Blood in the Sand: When James Jones Wrote a Grunt’s View of D-Day
James Jones
November 15, 2014
Eleven children under the age of 13 have been shot in the city of Milwaukee so far this year.
11 Children Shot in Milwaukee, One in Her Grandpa's Lap
Michael Daly
November 12, 2014
Skoller relates how lucky he was for a hung jury—the final, deadlocked vote was eleven to one, for acquittal.
The Myth of the Central Park Five
Edward Conlon
October 19, 2014

Historical Examples of eleven

Stop for us at the Laurels, about eleven, or p'r'aps I'll stroll over and get you.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
Saddled up and reached camp at eleven o'clock, and found all well.
Explorations in Australia
John Forrest
"I've got eleven dollars and fifty cents in my pocket," Andrew said frankly.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
It was after eleven o'clock when Evelyn rose to go to her room.
Grace Harlowe's Return to Overton Campus
Jessie Graham Flower
About eleven or twelve years ago Trevillo made his appearance here.
Rico and Wiseli
Johanna Spyri

British Dictionary definitions for eleven

eleven

noun

the cardinal number that is the sum of ten and one
a numeral 11, XI, etc, representing this number
something representing, represented by, or consisting of 11 units
(functioning as singular or plural) a team of 11 players in football, cricket, hockey, etc
Also called: eleven o'clock eleven hours after noon or midnight

determiner

1. amounting to eleveneleven chances
2. (as pronoun)have another eleven today

Word Origin for eleven

Old English endleofan; related to Old Norse ellefo, Gothic ainlif, Old Frisian andlova, Old High German einlif

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for eleven

c.1200, elleovene, from Old English endleofan, literally "one left" (over ten), from Proto-Germanic *ainlif- (cf. Old Saxon elleban, Old Frisian andlova, Dutch elf, Old High German einlif, German elf, Old Norse ellifu, Gothic ainlif), a compound of *ain "one" (see one) + PIE *leikw- "leave, remain" (cf. Greek leipein "to leave behind;" see relinquish).

FIREFLY: Give me a number from 1 to 10.
CHICOLINI: eleven!
FIREFLY: Right!

Viking survivors who escaped an Anglo-Saxon victory were daroþa laf "the leavings of spears," while hamora laf "the leavings of hammers" was an Old English kenning for "swords" (both from "The Battle of Brunanburgh"). Twelve reflects the same formation. Outside Germanic the only instance of this formation is in Lithuanian, which uses -lika "left over" and continues the series to 19 (vienio-lika "eleven," dvy-lika "twelve," try-lika "thirteen," keturio-lika "fourteen," etc.) Phrase eleventh hour (1829) is from Matthew xx:1-16.