twelfth

[ twelfth ]

/ twɛlfθ /

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See 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.

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Origin of twelfth

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

Words nearby twelfth

tweeps, tweet, tweeter, tweeze, tweezers, twelfth, Twelfth Amendment, Twelfth Day, twelfth man, Twelfth Night, Twelfthtide

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use twelfth in a sentence

Black family wealth remains between one-ninth and one-twelfth the level of white family wealth, a shocking disparity.
Why Some Americans Are More Equal Than Others|Jedediah Purdy|September 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
Search with a one-twelfth-inch objective, using very subdued light.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
On the twelfth of the said month it was washed, and a grain of gold weighing scarcely one real obtained.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
This statute was continued and altered in subsequent reigns, and not repealed until the twelfth year of Queen Anne.
The Portsmouth Road and Its Tributaries|Charles G. Harper
A common custom is to "set" every tenth or twelfth hill with two plants.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
Bigyns, Beguines; these were members of certain lay sisterhoods in the Low Countries, from the twelfth century onwards.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 (of 7) -- Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems|Geoffrey Chaucer

British Dictionary definitions for twelfth

twelfth

/ (twɛlfθ) /

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

twelfth

Origin of twelfth

Words nearby twelfth

Words related to twelfth

How to use twelfth in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for twelfth

Word Origin for twelfth