noun · prep · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/bɪˈtwiːn/
British, Southern, Standard:/bɪˈtwɪjn/
General-American:/bəˈtwin/
General-American:/bɪˈtwin/
General-American:[bɪˈthwin]
General-American:/biˈtwin/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -iːn
CMU ARPABET:B IH0 T W IY1 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:B IY0 T W IY1 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A kind of needle, shorter than a sharp, with a small rounded eye, used for making fine stitches on heavy fabrics.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
prep
Meaning 2
In the position or interval that separates (two things), or intermediate in quantity or degree. (See Usage notes below.)
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
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.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
prep
Meaning 3
Done together or reciprocally.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
conversation between friends
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
prep
Meaning 4
Shared in confidence.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Between you and me, I think the boss is crazy. Let's keep this between ourselves.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
prep
Meaning 5
In transit from (one to the other, or connecting places).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
He's between jobs right now. The shuttle runs between the town and the airport.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
prep
Meaning 6
Combined (by effort or ownership).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Between us all, we shall succeed. We've only got £5 between us.
Between the leaky taps and the peeling wallpaper, there isn't much about this house to appeal to a buyer.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
prep
Meaning 7
One of (representing a choice).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
You must choose between him and me.
Some colour-blind people can't distinguish between red and green.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
prep
Meaning 8
Taking together the combined effect of.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Between the food and the card games, this proved to be the best birthday party I have ever had.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
adverb
Meaning 9
in between
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
two houses with a tree between
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: 'tween
Antonyms: none provided
10
adverb
Meaning 10
in the interval
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
dancing all the dances with little rest between
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: betwixt
Antonyms: none provided
History
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”).
Across languages
Translations
228 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
midis
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Albanian:
ndërmjet
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Amharic:
በ - መካከል
(bä - mäkakäl)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Arabic:
بَيْنَ
(bayna)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Arabic:
بين
(bēn)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Arabic:
بين
(bēn)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Najdi Arabic:
بين
(bēn)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Aragonese:
entre
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Armenian:
միջեւ
(miǰew)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Aromanian:
ntrã
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Asturian:
ente
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Azerbaijani:
arasında
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Bashkir:
араһында
(arahında)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Belarusian:
памі́ж
(pamíž)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Bengali:
মধ্যে
(moddhe)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Bengali:
মাঝে
(majhe)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Bulgarian:
между́
(meždú)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Burmese:
ကြား
(kra:)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Catalan:
entre
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Chinese Mandarin:
之間 /之间
(zhījiān)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Chinese Mandarin:
間 /间
(jiān)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Czech:
mezi
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Danish:
mellem
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Dutch:
tussen
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Egyptian:
Z11-m-Z4-t:W
(jmjtw)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Esperanto:
inter
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Extremaduran:
entri
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Farefare:
tẽŋasʋka
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Farefare:
tɩŋasʋka
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Faroese:
millum
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Faroese:
ímillum
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Finnish:
välissä
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Finnish:
keskellä
— in the position or interval that separates two things
French:
entre
— in the position or interval that separates two things
West-Frisian:
tusken
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Friulian:
tra
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Friulian:
fra
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Friulian:
jenfri
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Galician:
entre
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Galician:
ontre
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Georgian:
შორის
(šoris)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
German:
zwischen
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Greek:
ανάμεσα
(anámesa)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Ancient Greek:
μεταξύ
(metaxú)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Gujarati:
વચ્ચે
(vacce)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Hebrew:
בֵּין
(bēn)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Hiligaynon:
tunga
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Hiligaynon:
sa gintung-an
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Hindi:
... के बीच
(... ke bīc)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Hungarian:
között
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Icelandic:
á milli
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Ido:
inter
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Indonesian:
di antara
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Indonesian:
antara
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Ingrian:
välis
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Ingrian:
välil
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Irish:
idir
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Italian:
tra
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Italian:
fra
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Japanese:
...の間に
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Kapampangan:
pilatan
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Kazakh:
ортасында
(ortasynda)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Khmer:
រវាង
(rawīəng)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Korean:
가운데에
(gaunde-e)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Korean:
사이에
(sai-e)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Korean:
간에
(gan-e)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Central Kurdish:
لەبەینی ... دا
(lebeynî ... da)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Central Kurdish:
نێوان
(nêwan)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Northern Kurdish:
di navbera ... de
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Kyrgyz:
ортосунда
(ortosunda)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Ladino:
entre
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Lao:
ລະຫວ່າງ
(la huāng)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Latin:
inter
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Latvian:
starp
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Latvian:
vidū
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Luxembourgish:
tëschent
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Macedonian:
меѓу
(meǵu)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Macedonian:
измеѓу
(izmeǵu)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Malay:
di antara
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Malay:
antara
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Maltese:
bejn
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Mongolian:
хооронд
(xoorond)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Mongolian:
дундуур
(dunduur)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Navajo:
bitaʼgi
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Norwegian:
mellom
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Occitan:
entre
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Church Slavic:
междоу
(meždu)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Old English:
betweox
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Old English:
betweoh
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Pashto:
تر منځ
(ter mentz)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Persian:
بین
(beyn)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Persian:
میان
(miyân)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Polish:
pomiędzy
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Polish:
między
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Portuguese:
entre
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Romanian:
între
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Russian:
ме́жду
(méždu)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Russian:
меж
(mež)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Russian:
посреди́
(posredí)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Russian:
среди́
(sredí)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Scots:
atween
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Serbo-Croatian:
и̏змеђу
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Serbo-Croatian:
међу
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Serbo-Croatian:
ȉzmeđu
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Serbo-Croatian:
među
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Slovak:
medzi
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Slovene:
med
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Somali:
dhexda
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Lower Sorbian:
mjazy
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Upper Sorbian:
mjez
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Upper Sorbian:
mjezy
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Spanish:
entre
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Sranan Tongo:
mindri
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Swedish:
mellan
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Tagalog:
gitna
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Tajik:
байни
(bayn-i)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Tajik:
миёни
(miyon-i)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Thai:
ระหว่าง
(rá-wàang)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Turkish:
arasında
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Turkmen:
arasynda
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Ukrainian:
між
(miž)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Ukrainian:
меж
(mež)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Urdu:
بیچ
(bīc)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Uzbek:
oʻrtasida
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Vietnamese:
giữa
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Vietnamese:
ở giữa
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Welsh:
rhwng
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Woiwurrung:
bageroe
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Wolaytta:
gidduwan
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Yaghnobi:
бидун
(bidun)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Yiddish:
צווישן
(tsvishn)
— in the position or interval that separates two things
Armenian:
միջեւ
(miǰew)
— shared in confidence by
Bulgarian:
между́
(meždú)
— shared in confidence by
Danish:
mellem
— shared in confidence by
Danish:
imellem
— shared in confidence by
Dutch:
onder ons gezegd en gezwegen
— shared in confidence by
Esperanto:
inter
— shared in confidence by
Finnish:
kesken
— shared in confidence by
Finnish:
välillä
— shared in confidence by
French:
entre
— shared in confidence by
Italian:
tra
— shared in confidence by
Italian:
fra
— shared in confidence by
Korean:
-끼리
(-kkiri)
— shared in confidence by
Central Kurdish:
لە نێوان
(le nêwan)
— shared in confidence by
Latvian:
starp
— shared in confidence by
Macedonian:
меѓу
(meǵu)
— shared in confidence by
Macedonian:
помеѓу
(pomeǵu)
— shared in confidence by
Norwegian:
mellom
— shared in confidence by
Polish:
między
— shared in confidence by
Portuguese:
entre
— shared in confidence by
Romanian:
între
— shared in confidence by
Russian:
среди́
(sredí)
— shared in confidence by
Russian:
ме́жду
(méždu)
— shared in confidence by
Serbo-Croatian:
ме̏ђу
— shared in confidence by
Serbo-Croatian:
и̏змеђу
— shared in confidence by
Serbo-Croatian:
mȅđu
— shared in confidence by
Serbo-Croatian:
ȉzmeđu
— shared in confidence by
Slovak:
medzi
— shared in confidence by
Spanish:
entre
— shared in confidence by
Swedish:
mellan
— shared in confidence by
Armenian:
միջեւ
(miǰew)
— in transit from one to the other
Bulgarian:
помежду
(pomeždu)
— in transit from one to the other
Danish:
mellem
— in transit from one to the other
Dutch:
tussen
— in transit from one to the other
Finnish:
välissä
— in transit from one to the other
Finnish:
välillä
— in transit from one to the other
West-Frisian:
tusken
— in transit from one to the other
German:
zwischen
— in transit from one to the other
Hebrew:
בין
(bein)
— in transit from one to the other
Ido:
inter
— in transit from one to the other
Italian:
tra
— in transit from one to the other
Italian:
fra
— in transit from one to the other
Korean:
간을
(gan-eul)
— in transit from one to the other
Latvian:
starp
— in transit from one to the other
Macedonian:
по́меѓу
(pómeǵu)
— in transit from one to the other
Norwegian:
mellom
— in transit from one to the other
Persian:
بین
(beyn)
— in transit from one to the other
Polish:
między
— in transit from one to the other
Polish:
pomiędzy
— in transit from one to the other
Portuguese:
entre
— in transit from one to the other
Romanian:
între
— in transit from one to the other
Serbo-Croatian:
ме̏ђу
— in transit from one to the other
Serbo-Croatian:
mȅđu
— in transit from one to the other
Slovak:
medzi
— in transit from one to the other
Spanish:
entre
— in transit from one to the other
Danish:
tilsammen
— combined by effort or ownership
Danish:
ved fælles hjælp
— combined by effort or ownership
Danish:
i forening
— combined by effort or ownership
Dutch:
onder
— combined by effort or ownership
Finnish:
kesken
— combined by effort or ownership
Finnish:
yhteensä
— combined by effort or ownership
Finnish:
välillä
— combined by effort or ownership
Italian:
tra
— combined by effort or ownership
Macedonian:
за́едно
(záedno)
— combined by effort or ownership
Portuguese:
entre
— combined by effort or ownership
Russian:
сумма́рно
(summárno)
— combined by effort or ownership
Russian:
всего́
(vsevó)
— combined by effort or ownership
Russian:
на всех
(na vsex)
— combined by effort or ownership
Russian:
вме́сте
(vméste)
— combined by effort or ownership
Spanish:
entre
— combined by effort or ownership
Armenian:
միջեւ
(miǰew)
— one of, representing a choice
Bulgarian:
между
(meždu)
— one of, representing a choice
Czech:
mezi
— one of, representing a choice
Danish:
mellem
— one of, representing a choice
Dutch:
tussen
— one of, representing a choice
Finnish:
väliltä
— one of, representing a choice
French:
entre
— one of, representing a choice
West-Frisian:
tusken
— one of, representing a choice
German:
zwischen
— one of, representing a choice
Hebrew:
בין
(bein)
— one of, representing a choice
Ido:
inter
— one of, representing a choice
Italian:
tra
— one of, representing a choice
Italian:
fra
— one of, representing a choice
Korean:
사이
(sai)
— one of, representing a choice
Korean:
중 하나
(jung)
— one of, representing a choice
Latvian:
starp
— one of, representing a choice
Macedonian:
по́меѓу
(pómeǵu)
— one of, representing a choice
Norwegian:
mellom
— one of, representing a choice
Persian:
بین
(beyn)
— one of, representing a choice
Polish:
pomiędzy
— one of, representing a choice
Polish:
między
— one of, representing a choice
Portuguese:
entre
— one of, representing a choice
Romanian:
între
— one of, representing a choice
Russian:
ме́жду
(méždu)
— one of, representing a choice
Serbo-Croatian:
и̏змеђу
— one of, representing a choice
Serbo-Croatian:
ȉzmeđu
— one of, representing a choice
