twelve

Etymology

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”).

num

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.

noun

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. (law, colloquial) A jury (normally composed of twelve persons).
4. (slang) The police; law enforcement, especially a narcotics officer.
5. (military slang, by ellipsis of twelve o'clock) Front (front side of something, position in front of something).
   watch your twelve
   For quotations using this term, see Citations:twelve.