between
/bəˈtwin/
Word Rarity
Common
Frequency: 5.77 in modern English
12
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
prep
In the position or interval that separates (two things), or intermediate in quantity or degree. (See Usage notes below.)
prep
Done together or reciprocally.
prep
prep
In transit from (one to the other, or connecting places).
prep
One of (representing a choice).
Example Sentences
- "John stood between Amy and Mary. Let’s meet between two and three."
- "I want to buy one that costs somewhere between forty and fifty dollars."
- "The prince is here at hand, pleaſeth your Lordſhip / To meet his grace iuſt diſtance tvveene our armies."
- "Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer language, he expressed the important words by an initial, a medial, or a final consonant, and made scratches for all the words between; his clerks, however, understood him very well."
- "Energy has seldom been found where we need it when we want it. Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame."
- "Accounts with between fifty thousand and two hundred thousand followers are considered “microinfluencers,” and tend to have higher engagement rates—that is, a larger share of their followers like, favorite, or comment on their posts—than those with millions of followers."
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”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /bəˈtwin/
- British English: /bɪˈtwiːn/