twelve

American  

[twelv] / twɛlv /

noun

1. a cardinal number, 10 plus 2.

2. a symbol for this number, as 12 or XII.

3. a set of this many persons or things.

4. the Twelve, the 12 apostles chosen by Christ.

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adjective

1. amounting to 12 in number.

twelve British  

/ twɛlv /

noun

1. the cardinal number that is the sum of ten and two See also number

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

3. something represented by, representing, or consisting of 12 units

4. Also called: twelve o'clock.  noon or midnight

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determiner

1. 1. amounting to twelve

      twelve loaves

   2. ( as pronoun ) See also dozen

      twelve have arrived

Etymology

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; two, leave ¹, eleven

Example Sentences

We were moved from the rez elementary school to the big central junior high at the same time most of us hit puberty, around eleven or twelve years old.

From Literature

It is a requirement that each external board member speak publicly every twelve months.

From The Wall Street Journal

It was so perfect that even I, who had just seen twelve people eating here, could scarcely believe this was anything but an innocent old man dining with his daughters.

From Literature

“I’m off duty at twelve, and that’s just about now. So I’m on my own time.”

From Literature

Even those of us whose mouths moved when we were reading our own names knew the multiplication table up through times twelve.

From Literature