twelve

alternative 12 · alternative XII · alternative obsolete twelue

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.

   1 more example

   Hopper points out that duodecads have been prominent in every ancient civilization and cites as examples twelve spokes in the wheel of the Hindu Rta, the twelve gates of hell where Egyptian Ra must spend the twelve hours of night, the twelve tribes of Israel, the twelve labors of Hercules, [...]

   1972, Eleanor Webster Bulatkin, Structural Arithmetic Metaphor in the Oxford "Roland.", Ohio State University Press, →ISBN, page 10

   Synonyms: twelveteen

plural twelves · alternative 12 · alternative XII · alternative obsolete twelue

1. A group of twelve items.

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

2. A twelve-bore gun.

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

   1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance (Avignon Quintet), Faber & Faber, published 2004, page 880

3. colloquiallawA jury (normally composed of twelve persons).
4. slangThe police; law enforcement, especially a narcotics officer.
5. slangby ellipsis of twelve o'clockgovernmentFront (front side of something, position in front of something).

   watch your twelve

   1 more example

   For quotations using this term, see Citations:twelve.