twelve

[ twelv ]

/ twɛlv /

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noun

a cardinal number, 10 plus 2.

a symbol for this number, as 12 or XII.

a set of this many persons or things.

the Twelve, the 12 apostles chosen by Christ.

adjective

amounting to 12 in number.

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Origin of twelve

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;see two, leave¹, eleven

Words nearby twelve

Twelfth Amendment, Twelfth Day, twelfth man, Twelfth Night, Twelfthtide, twelve, twelvefold, twelve-inch, twelve-mile limit, twelvemo, twelvemonth

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use twelve in a sentence

Grindr currently has twelve ‘tribes,’ and for some people this just is not enough.
Grindr’s Trans Dating Problem|David Levesley|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
When twelve people are killed by violence, whoever they are, for whatever reason, that is a tragedy and a waste.
Trolls and Martyrdom: Je Ne Suis Pas Charlie|Arthur Chu|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Twelve-year-old dance prodigy Maddie Ziegler has suffered the wrath of Dance Moms tyrant Abby Lee Miller.
See Burly Shia LaBeouf Interpretive Cage Fight Lil Sia in the Singer’s Fantastic New Music Video|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
When it was announced that Jourdan Dunn would be the first black model to cover British Vogue in twelve years it made me sad.
One Vogue Cover Doesn’t Solve Fashion’s Big Race Problem|Danielle Belton|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST

I arrive at twelve-twenty-five and the secretaries are in a tizzy.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was close upon twelve o'clock, and the "Rooms" had been open to the public for two hours.
Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson
At twelve, or fifteen, or sixteen, or twenty it was decided that they should stop learning.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
In the next chapter he gives his twelve disciples authority over demons.
Solomon and Solomonic Literature|Moncure Daniel Conway
With twelve hundred foes around us, we had plenty to occupy all our thoughts and attention.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
We had been twelve hours in the saddle, and had ridden over nearly a hundred miles of ground.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various

British Dictionary definitions for twelve

twelve

/ (twɛlv) /

noun

the cardinal number that is the sum of ten and twoSee also number (def. 1)

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

something represented by, representing, or consisting of 12 units

Also called: twelve o'clock noon or midnight

determiner

amounting to twelvetwelve loaves
(as pronoun)twelve have arrived See also dozen Related adjective: duodecimal Related prefix: dodeca-

Word Origin for twelve

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

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

twelve

Origin of twelve

Words nearby twelve

Words related to twelve

How to use twelve in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for twelve

Word Origin for twelve