# twelve

Pronunciation: US/UK say "TWELV" /twɛlv/; AUS say "TWUHLV" /twəlv/

## Numeral

1. The cardinal number occurring after eleven and before thirteen, written 12 in Arabic numerals and XII in Roman numerals.
   - Simple: The number that comes after eleven and before thirteen, written as 12.
   - _Twelve jurors filed into the courtroom and took their seats._
   - _The recipe called for twelve ounces of melted butter._

## Noun

2. A group of twelve items, counted or sold together as a unit.
   - Simple: A group of twelve things that go together.
   - _The cups are sold as a twelve, boxed together._
   - _He bought three twelves of oysters for the dinner._
3. Police officers as a group, with particular reference to drug-squad or narcotics officers. *(slang)*
   - Simple: The police, especially officers who deal with illegal drugs.
   - _Word spread that twelve had raided the block before dawn._
   - _He kept a lookout for twelve while the others finished up._
4. A jury, which normally consists of twelve persons empaneled to decide a case. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A jury, usually made up of twelve people in a trial.
   - _After three days, the twelve still could not agree on a verdict._
   - _The judge sent the twelve out to begin their deliberations._
5. A shotgun with a twelve-gauge bore, used for hunting and sport shooting.
   - Simple: A common kind of shotgun, named after its barrel size.
   - _The old man kept a twelve mounted above the fireplace._
   - _He brought his twelve along for the duck hunt._
6. The front; the side of or the position directly in front of something. *(slang)*
   - Simple: The area or position straight ahead of you.
   - _The pilot called out a contact at twelve._
   - _Stay alert. There's movement at your twelve._

## Origin

From Middle English "twelve," from Old English "twelf," from Proto-Germanic *twalif, an old compound of *twa- ("two") and *-lif ("left over") (literally the two left over after already counting to ten) from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- ("leave, remain"). It is related to Dutch "twaalf," German "zwölf," and Swedish "tolv."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/twelve (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).