duodenary, a. and n.
(djuːəʊˈdiːnərɪ)
[ad. L. duodēnārius containing twelve.]
A. adj.
1. Arith. Pertaining to twelve; proceeding by twelves.
| 1857 Sat. Rev. III. 448/1 The use of the duodenary division of the shilling. 1864 Webster s.v., Duodenary arithmetic, that system in which the local value of the figures increases in a twelve-fold proportion from right to left. 1890 Times (weekly ed.) 17 Jan. 15/1 The duo-denary system of calculation. |
2. Mus. Relating to duodenes.
| 1874 A. J. Ellis in Proc. R. Soc. XXIII. 21 The fingering..on manuals constructed on the duodenary theory. |
B. n.
† 1. A period of twelve years. Obs.
| 1681 H. More Exp. Dan. 224 In the beginning of the Duodenary. |
2. Mus. A keyboard constructed according to duodenes. See A 2.
| 1874 A. J. Ellis in Proc. R. Soc. 28 The hand would on the duodenary..dip between high digitals to strike octaves of low digitals. |