twelve

• Arabic numerals: 12
• Roman numerals: XII
• twelue (obsolete)

From Middle English twelve, from Old English twelf (“twelve”), from Proto-Germanic *twalif, an old compound of *twa- (“two”) and *-lif (“left over”) (i.e., two left over after having already counted to ten), from Proto-Indo-European *leykʷ- (“leave, remain”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian tweelf, tweelif, tweelich (“twelve”), West Frisian tolve (“twelve”), Dutch twaalf (“twelve”), German Low German twalf, twalv (“twelve”), German zwölf (“twelve”), Danish, Swedish and Norwegian tolv (“twelve”), Icelandic tólf (“twelve”).

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /twɛlv/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ɛlv

twelve

1. The cardinal number occurring after eleven and before thirteen, represented in Arabic numerals as 12 and in Roman numerals as XII.

   There are twelve months in a year.

2. (slang) Law enforcement; the police

• twelve-bar blues
• twelvesome

• Ordinal: twelfth

• Last: eleven. Next: thirteen

twelve (plural twelves)

1. A group of twelve items.

   Fractions would be a little easier if we counted by twelves.

2. A twelve-bore gun.
   • 1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance, Faber & Faber 2004 (Avignon Quintet), page 880:

     In this way Von Esslin ‘inherited’ two fine hammerless twelves which he used once or twice for duck on the Camargue.

3. (law, colloquial) A jury (normally composed of twelve persons).
4. (slang) police; law enforcement, especially a narcotics officer

• twelfth

• dozen

• twelfe, twelf, twælf, tuelf

From Old English twelf, in turn from Proto-Germanic *twalif.

• IPA^(key): /ˈtwɛlv(ə)/, /ˈtwɛlf(ə)/

twelve

1. twelve

• English: twelve
• Scots: twal, twol (obsolete twelf, twalf, tuelf)