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twelfth. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
twelfth, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
twelfth in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
twelfth you have here. The definition of the word
twelfth will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
twelfth, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Alternative forms
- twelfe (obsolete, but the corresponding pronunciation /twɛlf/ is still widespread today)
- twelveth (archaic)
Etymology
From Middle English twelfthe, twelfte, from Old English twelfta (“twelfth”), from Proto-Germanic *twaliftô (“twelfth”), equivalent to twelve + -th. Cognate with Scots twelft (“twelfth”), Saterland Frisian tweelfte (“twelfth”), West Frisian tolfde (“twelfth”), Dutch twaalfde (“twelfth”), German Low German twalfde, twalvde (“twelfth”), German zwölfte (“twelfth”), Danish tolvte (“twelfth”),
Swedish tolfte (“twelfth”), Icelandic tólfta (“twelfth”).
Pronunciation
Adjective
twelfth (not comparable)
- The ordinal form of the number twelve, describing a person or thing in position number 12 of a sequence.
- The answer appears on the twelfth page of the book.
- She finished twelfth in the race.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
Noun
twelfth (plural twelfths)
- One of twelve equal parts of a whole.
A twelfth of 240 is 20.
Five twelfths of the population voted in support of the proposal.
- (music) An interval equal to an octave plus a fifth.
Synonyms
- (one of twelve equal parts): dozenth; uncia (chiefly Greco-Roman contexts)
Translations
one of twelve equal parts of a whole
References
- ^ Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933. (modern OED website has /twɛl(f)θ/ for both British and US English)
- ^ “twelfth”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present. (/twɛlf(t)θ/)