十二子 shí'èrzǐ Twelve Earthly Branches Origin Definitions Defs Strokes Stroke Words Sentences Sents 十二 shí'èr numeral twelve the number twelve; 12子 zǐ [Earthly Branch] the first of the twelve Earthly Branches, representing the North, the year of the Rat, and the time from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.