Definition of BETWEEN

between

Plural: betweens

Adverb

  • in the interval
    • "dancing all the dances with little rest between"
  • in between
    • "two houses with a tree between"

Prep

  • In the position or interval that separates (two things), or intermediate in quantity or degree. (See Usage notes below.)
  • Done together or reciprocally.
  • Shared in confidence.
  • In transit from (one to the other, or connecting places).
  • Combined (by effort or ownership).
  • One of (representing a choice).
  • Taking together the combined effect of.

Noun

  • A kind of needle, shorter than a sharp, with a small rounded eye, used for making fine stitches on heavy fabrics.

Examples

  • "Between the food and the card games, this proved to be the best birthday party I have ever had."
  • "Between the leaky taps and the peeling wallpaper, there isn't much about this house to appeal to a buyer."
  • "Between us all, we shall succeed.  We've only got £5 between us."
  • "Between you and me, I think the boss is crazy.  Let's keep this between ourselves."
  • "conversation between friends"
  • "He's between jobs right now.  The shuttle runs between the town and the airport."
  • "I want to buy one that costs somewhere between forty and fifty dollars."
  • "John stood between Amy and Mary.    Let’s meet between two and three."
  • "Some colour-blind people can't distinguish between red and green."
  • "You must choose between him and me."

Origin / Etymology

PIE word
*dwóh₁
From Middle English betwene, from Old English betwēonum (“between, among”, dative plural, literally “by the two, near both”), from Proto-Germanic *bi- (“be-”) + *twīhnaz (“two each”), corresponding to be- + twain. Cognate with Scots between (“between”), Scots atween (“between”), Gothic 𐍄𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌷𐌽𐌰𐌹 (tweihnai, “two each”), Old English betweoh (“between”), Old English twinn (“double, twofold”). More at betwixt, twin.
More distantly related to Ancient Greek διά (diá, “through, across, by, over”) whence English dia- (“through, across, between”).
For the meaning development also compare with Mongolian хооронд (xoorond, “between”), connected with Mongolian хоёр (xojor, “two”).

Synonyms

'tween, atween, atwix, atwixt, betwixt, betwixte

Scrabble Score: 12

between is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
between is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
between is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 14

between is a valid Words With Friends word