I. | ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷| ̷ ̷ adjective
: being one more than 71 in number
seventy-two years
— see number table
II. pronoun, plural in construction
: 72 countable persons or things not specified but under consideration and being enumerated
seventy-two are here
seventy-two were found
III. noun
1. : two and 70 : three times 24 : four times 18 : six times 12 : six dozen
2.
a. : 72 units or objects
a total of seventy-two
b. : a group or set of 72
3. : the numerable quantity symbolized by the arabic numerals 72
4. : the 72d in a set or series