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Added 3 October 2026

twelve

/twɛlv/ noun

In Latin: duodecim Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about twelve at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

NATO, ICAO, ITU & IMO radiotelephony code for 12, used only with o'clock to indicate direction.

numeral

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.

noun

A group of twelve items.
Fractions would be a little easier if we counted by twelves.
A twelve-bore gun.
A jury (normally composed of twelve persons).

Origin

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 *leyp- (“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”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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