twelfth

[twelfth]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR twelfth ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

next after the eleventh; being the ordinal number for 12.

being one of 12 equal parts.

noun

a twelfth part, especially of one (1/12).

the twelfth member of a series.

Origin of twelfth

before 900; Middle English twelfthe, twelfte, Old English twelfta, equivalent to twelf twelve + -ta -th²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for twelfth

duodecimal, duodenary

Examples from the Web for twelfth

Contemporary Examples of twelfth

He also has a best supporting actor nomination for his mincing, lovestruck Olivia in Twelfth Night.
Who Will Win the Tony Awards?
Janice Kaplan
June 7, 2014
There was much better drag this season—like Mark Rylance [in Twelfth Night].
A Tony Voter on Bryan Cranston’s Overrated LBJ, Neil Patrick Harris’s Underwhelming Hedwig
Michael Musto
June 4, 2014
The Armory Show, located at Twelfth Avenue and 55th Street, will be on display until March 9th and is open from 12pm—7pm daily.
10 Works to See at the Armory Show in New York City
Justin Jones
March 6, 2014
Editor's note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated Mark Rylance's role in Twelfth Night.
10 Best Plays of the Year: Richard III, No Man’s Land, and More
Janice Kaplan
December 27, 2013
The Twelfth Day of Christmas photo will be up on Christmas morning, a gift to everyone from folks who really know how to Ho!
Meet Butters, the Christmas Dog Model
Michael Daly
December 25, 2013

Historical Examples of twelfth

The third mention of this sonnet-story in a play is later still: it is in "Twelfth Night."
The Man Shakespeare
Frank Harris
They followed him, and on Twelfth Day laid the charter before him.
Cameos from English History, from Rollo to Edward II
Charlotte Mary Yonge
In the twelfth month of 1792 a convention of reformers was held at Edinburgh.
The Works of Whittier, Volume VI (of VII)
John Greenleaf Whittier
In the twelfth, a very small bladder, were ten drops of brandy.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt
In "Twelfth Night," both ladies make the first advances in love.
A Dish Of Orts
George MacDonald

British Dictionary definitions for twelfth

twelfth

adjective

(usually prenominal)

coming after the eleventh in number or counting order, position, time, etc; being the ordinal number of twelve: often written 12th
(as noun)the twelfth of the month

noun

one of 12 equal or nearly equal parts of an object, quantity, measurement, etc
(as modifier)a twelfth part

the fraction equal to one divided by 12 (1/12)

music

an interval of one octave plus a fifth
one of two notes constituting such an interval in relation to the other
an organ stop sounding a note one octave and a fifth higher than that normally produced by the key depressed

Word Origin for twelfth

from Old English twelfta

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 twelfth

adj.

Old English twelfta, cognate with Old Norse tolfti, Old Frisian twelefta, Old High German zwelifto, German zwölfte (see twelve + -th (1)).

Old English twelftan niht "Twelfth Night," the eve of Epiphany, which comes twelve days after Christmas, formerly was a time of merrymaking.