e·lev·en ( -l v n)n.1. The cardinal number equal to 10 + 1. 2. The 11th in a set or sequence. 3. Something with 11 parts or members, especially a football team.
[Middle English elleven, from Old English endleofan; see oi-no- in Indo-European roots.]
e·lev en adj. & pron. Word History: The decimal system of counting is well established in the English names for numbers. Both the suffix -teen (as in fourteen) and the suffix -ty (as in forty) are related to the word ten. But what about the anomalous eleven and twelve? Why do we not say oneteen, twoteen along the same pattern as thirteen, fourteen, fifteen? Eleven in Old English is endleofan, and related forms in the various Germanic languages point back to an original Germanic *ainlif, "eleven." *Ainlif is composed of *ain-, "one," the same as our one, and the suffix *-lif from the Germanic root *lib-, "to adhere, remain, remain left over." Thus, eleven is literally "one-left" (over, that is, past ten), and twelve is "two-left" (over past ten). |
eleven Noun
1. the cardinal number that is the sum of ten and one
2. a numeral, 11 or XI, representing this number
3. something representing or consisting of 11 units
4. a team of 11 players in football, cricket, etc.
Adjective
amounting to eleven: eleven years [Old English endleofan]
eleventh adjn
Eleven the members of a cricket or football team, 1800.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. | eleven - the cardinal number that is the sum of ten and one |
| 2. | eleven - a team that plays footballline backer, linebacker - (American football) the position of a defensive football player who plays close behind the line of scrimmage field general, quarterback, signal caller - (American football) the position of the football player in the backfield who directs the offensive play of his team; "quarterback is the most important position on the team" fullback - (American football) the position of a back on a football team halfback - (American football) the position of a back on a football team tailback - (American football) the position of the offensive back on a football team who lines up farthest from the line of scrimmage wingback - (American football) the position of the offensive back who lines up behind or outside the end center - (American football) the position of the player on the line of scrimmage who puts the ball in play; "it is a center's responsibility to get the football to the quarterback" guard - (American football) a position on the line of scrimmage; "guards must be good blockers" tackle - (American football) a position on the line of scrimmage; "it takes a big man to play tackle" end - (American football) a position on the line of scrimmage; "no one wanted to play end" team, squad - a cooperative unit (especially in sports) backfield - the offensive football players who line up behind the linemen secondary - the defensive football players who line up behind the linemen linemen - the football players who line up on the line of scrimmage |
| Adj. | 1. | eleven - being one more than tencardinal - being or denoting a numerical quantity but not order; "cardinal numbers" |
Translations
eleven [ɪˈlɛvn] num →
once
eleven [ɪˈlɛvn] num →
onze
eleven [ɪˈlɛvn] num →
elf
eleven [ɪˈlɛvn] num →
undici