between
In or into the space that separates two places, people, or objects
The town lies halfway between Rome and Florence.
Oxford Essential Dictionary
between
preposition, adverb
1 in the space in the middle of two things or people:
The letter B comes between A and C.
I sat between Sylvie and Bruno.
I see her most weekends but not very often in between.
Look at the note at among.
2 to and from two places:
The boat sails between Dover and Calais.
3 more than one thing but less than another thing:
The meal will cost between £20 and £25.
4 after one time and before the next time:
I'll meet you between 4 and 4.30.
5 for or by two or more people or things:
We shared the cake between us (= each of us had some cake).
6 a word that you use when you compare two people or things:
What is the difference between 'some' and 'any'?
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
between
be‧tween S1 W1 /bɪˈtwiːn/ BrE AmE adverb, preposition
[Language: Old English; Origin: betweonum]
1. (also in between) in or through the space that separates two things, people, or places:
I sat down between Sue and Jane.
a house and stables, with a yard in between
The ball rolled between his feet.
2. (also in between) in the time that separates two times or events:
Are there any public holidays between Christmas and Easter?
You shouldn’t eat between meals.
The team have a lot of work to do between now and Sunday.
A lot of students spend a year abroad in between school and university.
I’ve had a few jobs, with long periods of unemployment in between.
3. within a range of amounts, numbers, distances etc:
The project will cost between eight and ten million dollars.
Most of the victims were young men between the ages of 16 and 21.
4. used to say which two places are joined or connected by something:
They’re building a new road between Manchester and Sheffield.
5. used to say which people or things are involved in something together or are connected:
the long-standing friendship between Bob and Bryan
co-operation between the two countries
She had overheard a private conversation between two MPs.
the link between serious sunburn and deadly skin cancer
6. used to say which people or things get, have, or are involved in something that is shared:
Tom divided his money between his children.
Between the four of them they managed to lift her into the ambulance.
We collected £17 between us.
7. used to say which two things or people you are comparing:
the contrast between town and country life
In her book she makes a comparison between Russian and British ballet.
the difference between good music and really great music
8. between you and me (also between ourselves) spoken used before telling someone something that you do not want them to tell anyone else:
Between you and me, I think Schmidt’s about to resign.
9. come between somebody if something comes between two people, it causes an argument or problems between them:
I let my stupid pride come between us.
10. used when it is difficult to give an exact description of something and you therefore have to compare it to two things that are similar to it:
He uttered a sound that was something between a sigh and a groan.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
between
be·tween preposition, adverb [bɪˈtwiːn] [bɪˈtwiːn]
preposition
1. in or into the space separating two or more points, objects, people, etc
• Q comes between P and R in the English alphabet.
• I sat down between Jo and Diana.
• Switzerland lies between France, Germany, Austria and Italy.
• The paper had fallen down between the desk and the wall.
• (figurative) My job is somewhere between a secretary and a personal assistant.
2. in the period of time that separates two days, years, events, etc
• It's cheaper between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m.
• Don't eat between meals.
• Children must attend school between the ages of 5 and 16.
• Many changes took place between the two world wars.
3. at some point along a scale from one amount, weight, distance, etc. to another
• It weighed between nine and ten kilos.
• The temperature remained between 25 ° C and 30 ° C all week.
4. (of a line) separating one place from another
• the border between Sweden and Norway
5. from one place to another
• We fly between Rome and Paris twice daily.
6. used to show a connection or relationship
• a difference/distinction/contrast between two things
• a link between unemployment and crime
• There's a lot of bad feeling between them.
• I had to choose between the two jobs.
7. shared by two or more people or things
• We ate a pizza between us.
• This is just between you and me / between ourselves (= it is a secret).
8. by putting together the efforts or actions of two or more people or groups
• We ought to be able to manage it between us.
• China and India between them account for a third of the world's population.
9. ~ doing sth used to show that several activities are involved
• Between working full-time and taking care of the kids, he didn't have much time for hobbies.
Word Origin:
Old English betwēonum, from be ‘by’ + a Germanic word related to two.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
between / bɪˈtwiːn / preposition , adverb (SPACE)
A1 in or into the space that separates two places, people, or objects:
The town lies halfway between Rome and Florence.
Standing between the two adults was a small child.
She squeezed between the parked cars and ran out into the road.
There were two houses with a narrow path in between.
between / bɪˈtwiːn / preposition , adverb (AMOUNT)
A2 If something is between two amounts, it is greater than the first amount but smaller than the second:
She weighs between 55 and 60 kilograms.
The competition is open to children between six and twelve years of age.
The room was either extremely cold or hot, never anything in between (= in the middle) .
between / bɪˈtwiːn / preposition , adverb ( also in between ) (TIME)
A1 in the period of time that separates two different times or events:
You shouldn't eat between meals.
There is a break of ten minutes between classes.
The shop is closed for lunch between 12.30 and 1.30.
In between sobs, he managed to tell them what had happened.
He visits his parents every month and sometimes in between.
between / bɪˈtwiːn / preposition (SHARED)
B1 among two or more people or things:
The money was divided equally between several worthy causes.
We drank two bottles of wine between four of us.
Trade between the two countries (= their trade with each other) has increased sharply in the past year.
There is a great deal of similarity between Caroline and her mother (= they are very similar) .
between / bɪˈtwiːn / preposition (OPPOSING)
A1 A discussion, argument, or game between two or more people or groups of people involves both people or groups:
The negotiations between the union and management have broken down.
There has always been a fierce rivalry between the two clubs.
Tonight's game is between the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Rams.
between / bɪˈtwiːn / preposition (CHOICE)
If you choose between two things, you choose one thing or the other:
You'll have to choose between a holiday or a new washing machine.
She was torn between loyalty to her father and love for her husband (= she could not decide which one to support) .
between / bɪˈtwiːn / preposition (CONNECTING)
A2 connecting two or more places, things, or people:
There is a regular train service between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The survey shows a link between asthma and air pollution.
from one place to another:
He commutes daily between Leeds and Manchester.
between / bɪˈtwiːn / preposition (SEPARATING)
A2 separating two places or things:
The wall between East and West Berlin came down in 1989.
The report states that the gap between the rich and the poor has increased dramatically over the past decade.
© Cambridge University Press 2013
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
between
/bɪtwi:n/
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
Note: In addition to the uses shown below, 'between' is used in a few phrasal verbs, such as ‘come between’.
1.
If something is between two things or is in between them, it has one of the things on one side of it and the other thing on the other side.
She left the table to stand between the two men...
Charlie crossed between the traffic to the far side of the street.
PREP: usu PREP pl-n
2.
If people or things travel between two places, they travel regularly from one place to the other and back again.
I spent a lot of time in the early Eighties travelling between London and Bradford.
PREP: PREP pl-n
3.
A relationship, discussion, or difference between two people, groups, or things is one that involves them both or relates to them both.
I think the relationship between patients and doctors has got a lot less personal...
There has always been a difference between community radio and commercial radio.
PREP: PREP pl-n
4.
If something stands between you and what you want, it prevents you from having it.
His sense of duty often stood between him and the enjoyment of life.
PREP: PREP n and n
5.
If something is between two amounts or ages, it is greater or older than the first one and smaller or younger than the second one.
Amsterdam is fun–a third of its population is aged between 18 and 30.
PREP: PREP num and num
6.
If something happens between or in between two times or events, it happens after the first time or event and before the second one.
The canal was built between 1793 and 1797...
PREP: PREP pl-n, PREP num and num
•
Between is also an adverb.
...a journey by jetfoil, coach and two aircraft, with a four-hour wait in Bangkok in between.
ADV: ADV with cl/group
7.
If you must choose between two or more things, you must choose just one of them.
Students will be able to choose between English, French and Russian as their first foreign language.
PREP: PREP pl-n
8.
If people or places have a particular amount of something between them, this is the total amount that they have.
The three sites employ 12,500 people between them...
PREP: PREP pron
9.
When something is divided or shared between people, they each have a share of it.
There is only one bathroom shared between eight bedrooms.
= amongst
PREP: PREP pl-n
10.
When you introduce a statement by saying ‘between you and me’ or ‘between ourselves’, you are indicating that you do not want anyone else to know what you are saying.
Between you and me, though, it’s been awful for business...
Between ourselves, I know he wants to marry her.
PHRASE: PHR with cl
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
1be·tween /bɪˈtwiːn/ prep
1 : in the space that separates (two things or people)
• The ball rolled between the desk and the wall.
• He stood between his mother and his father.
• The office has two desks with a table between them.
• They put up a fence between their house and their neighbor's house.
• There are fences between all the houses.
- often used figuratively
• a book that blurs the line/boundary between fact and fiction
- often used in the phrase in between
• There are fences in between all the houses.
2 : in the time that separates (two actions, events, etc.)
• If you want to lose weight, you shouldn't eat between meals.
• Between bites of food, they talked to their teacher.
• The two days between Monday and Thursday are Tuesday and Wednesday.
• We should arrive between 9 and 10 o'clock.
- often used in the phrase in between
• You shouldn't eat in between meals.
3
- used to indicate the beginning and ending points of a group of numbers, a range of measurement, etc.
• a number between 1 and 20
• The package weighs somewhere between a pound and a pound and a half.
- sometimes used in the phrase in between
• a number in between 1 and 20
4 : in shares to each of (two or more people)
• The property was divided equally between the son and the daughter. [=the son and the daughter received an equal share of the property]
• His estate was divided between [=among] his four grandchildren.
5
- used to indicate two or more people or things that together produce a result or have an effect
• She ate two hot dogs, and he ate three hot dogs, so between them they ate five hot dogs.
• Between work and family life, she has no time for hobbies. [=because of all the time she spends on her work and family life, she has no time for hobbies]
6
- used to indicate two people or teams that are involved in a game, activity, etc.
• There's a game tonight between the Red Sox and the Yankees. [=the Red Sox are playing a game against the Yankees tonight]
7
- used to indicate two or more people or things that are joined, related, or connected in some way
• There are many relations/connections between linguistics, philosophy, and psychology.
• There is a passageway between the two rooms.
• the bond between friends
• We used to love each other, but there's nothing between us now. [=we don't love each other now]
8
- used to indicate two or more people or things that are being considered, compared, etc.
• They compared the cars but found few differences between them.
• We were allowed to choose between two/several options.
• There's not much to choose between the two cars. [=the two cars are very similar]
• There is very little difference between the two cars.
9
- used to indicate movement from one place to another place
• He flies between Miami and Chicago twice a week.
• The airline provides service between New York and Paris.
10 : known only by (two people)
• They shared a secret between them.
• (Just) Between you and me, I think he's wrong. [=I'm telling you that I think he's wrong, but you should not tell anyone else what I've told you]
• What I'm going to tell you should remain a secret (just) between us/ourselves.
