twelve

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Pronunciation

• (British, America) enPR: twĕlv, IPA: /twɛlv/, [tw̥ɛɫv]

Numeral

1. cln en 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

Synonyms

• twelveteen (nonstandard)

Related terms

• Ordinal: twelfth

Translations

• French: douze
• German: zwölf
• Italian: dodici
• Portuguese: doze
• Russian: двена́дцать
• Spanish: doce

Noun

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

Related terms

• twelfth

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