Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of, relating to, or based on the number 12.
  • adjective Of or relating to twelfths.
  • noun A twelfth.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Reckoning by twelves and powers of twelve: as, duodecimal multiplication.
  • noun One of a system of numerals the base of which is twelve.
  • noun plural An arithmetical rule for ascertaining the number of square feet, twelfths of feet, and square inches in a rectangular area or surface whose sides are given in feet and inches and twelfths of inches.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A twelfth part.
  • noun (Arch.) A system of numbers, whose denominations rise in a scale of twelves, as of feet and inches. The system is used chiefly by artificers in computing the superficial and solid contents of their work.
  • adjective Proceeding in computation by twelves; expressed in the scale of twelves.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective arithmetic Of a number, expressed in base 12.
  • noun arithmetic A number system that uses 12 as its base.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun one part in twelve equal parts
  • adjective based on twelve

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From Latin duodecimus, twelfth, from duodecim, twelve : duo, two; see dwo- in Indo-European roots + decem, ten; see dekm̥ in Indo-European roots.]

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Examples

  • Up and after ordering some things towards my wife's going into the country, to the office, where I spent the morning upon my measuring rules very pleasantly till noon, and then comes Creed and he and I talked about mathematiques, and he tells me of a way found out by Mr. Jonas Moore which he calls duodecimal arithmetique, which is properly applied to measuring, where all is ordered by inches, which are 12 in

    Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete Samuel Pepys 1668

  • Up and after ordering some things towards my wife's going into the country, to the office, where I spent the morning upon my measuring rules very pleasantly till noon, and then comes Creed and he and I talked about mathematiques, and he tells me of a way found out by Mr. Jonas Moore which he calls duodecimal arithmetique, which is properly applied to measuring, where all is ordered by inches, which are 12 in

    Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete 1663 N.S. Samuel Pepys 1668

  • Up and after ordering some things towards my wife's going into the country, to the office, where I spent the morning upon my measuring rules very pleasantly till noon, and then comes Creed and he and I talked about mathematiques, and he tells me of a way found out by Mr. Jonas Moore which he calls duodecimal arithmetique, which is properly applied to measuring, where all is ordered by inches, which are 12 in a foot, which I have a mind to learn.

    Diary of Samuel Pepys — Volume 22: May/June 1663 Samuel Pepys 1668

  • Up and after ordering some things towards my wife's going into the country, to the office, where I spent the morning upon my measuring rules very pleasantly till noon, and then comes Creed and he and I talked about mathematiques, and he tells me of a way found out by Mr. Jonas Moore which he calls duodecimal arithmetique, which is properly applied to measuring, where all is ordered by inches, which are 12 in a foot, which I have a mind to learn.

    The Diary of Samuel Pepys, May/Jun 1663 Pepys, Samuel 1663

  • It later changed its name to the Dozenal Society of America, since the word “duodecimal” was deemed to be overly reminiscent of the system they were aiming to replace.

    HERE’S LOOKING AT EUCLID Alex Bellos 2010

  • It later changed its name to the Dozenal Society of America, since the word “duodecimal” was deemed to be overly reminiscent of the system they were aiming to replace.

    HERE’S LOOKING AT EUCLID Alex Bellos 2010

  • It later changed its name to the Dozenal Society of America, since the word “duodecimal” was deemed to be overly reminiscent of the system they were aiming to replace.

    HERE’S LOOKING AT EUCLID Alex Bellos 2010

  • In arithmetic, and in other disciplines as well, truths remain the same even if notations are changed, and it does not matter whether a decimal or a duodecimal number system is used (Leibniz 1670, 128).

    Thomas Hobbes Duncan, Stewart 2009

  • Utopian of all things, a duodecimal system of counting.

    A Modern Utopia Herbert George 2006

  •   Our numbering system was a duodecimal one, and so it fit right in.

    Lord Conrads Crusade Frankowski, Leo 2005

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