[bi-tween] 
| 1. | in the space separating (two points, objects, etc.): between New York and Chicago. |
| 2. | intermediate to, in time, quantity, or degree: between twelve and one o'clock; between 50 and 60 apples; between pink and red. |
| 3. | linking; connecting: air service between cities. |
| 4. | in portions for each of (two people): splitting the profits between them. |
| 5. | among: sharing the responsibilities between the five of us. |
| 6. | by the dual or common action or participation of: Between us, we can finish the job in a couple of hours. |
| 7. | distinguishing one from the other: He couldn't see the difference between good and bad. |
| 8. | in comparing: no preference between the two wines. |
| 9. | by the combined effect of. |
| 10. | existing confidentially for: We'll keep this matter between the two of us. |
| 11. | involving; concerning: war between nations; choice between things. |
| 12. | being felt jointly or reciprocated by: the love between them. |
| 13. | by joint possession of: Between them they own most of this company. |
| 14. | Heraldry. in the midst of, so as to make a symmetrical composition: a cross argent between four bezants. |
| 15. | Usually, betweens. a short needle with a rounded eye and a sharp point, used for fine hand stitchery in heavy fabric. |
| 16. | in the intervening space or time; in an intermediate position or relation: two windows with a door between; visits that were far between. |
| 17. | between ourselves, confidentially; in trust. Also, between you and me, between you, me, and the post (lamppost, gatepost, etc.). |
| 18. | in between,
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| be·tween (bĭ-twēn') prep.
[Middle English bitwene, from Old English betwēonum; see dwo- in Indo-European roots.] between'ness n. Usage Note: According to a widely repeated but unjustified tradition, "between is used for two, and among for more than two." It is true that between is the only choice when exactly two entities are specified: the choice between (not among) good and evil, the rivalry between (not among) Great Britain and France. When more than two entities are involved, however, or when the number of entities is unspecified, the choice of one or the other word depends on the intended sense. Between is used when the entities are considered as distinct individuals; among, when they are considered as a mass or collectivity. Thus in the sentence The bomb landed between the houses, the houses are seen as points that define the boundaries of the area of impact (so that we presume that none of the individual houses was hit). In The bomb landed among the houses, the area of impact is considered to be the general location of the houses, taken together (in which case it is left open whether any houses were hit). By the same token, we may speak of a series of wars between the Greek cities, which suggests that each city was an independent participant in the hostilities, or of a series of wars among the Greek cities, which allows for the possibility that the participants were shifting alliances of cities. For this reason, among is used to indicate inclusion in a group: She is among the best of our young sculptors. There is a spy among you. Use between when the entities are seen as determining the limits or endpoints of a range: They searched the area between the river, the farmhouse, and the woods. The truck driver had obviously been drinking between stops. |
between
In addition to the idioms beginning with between, also see betwixt and between; come between; draw a line between; fall between the cracks; few and far between; hit between the eyes; in between; in between times; read between the lines; tail between one's legs.
