Synonyms

'tween

American

[tween] / twin /

preposition

contraction of between.

noun

Also tween, a youngster between 10 and 12 years of age, considered too old to be a child and too young to be a teenager.

'tween British

/ twiːn /

contraction

between

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of 'tween

1250–1300; Middle English twene, aphetic variant of atwene ( a- ¹ ) or betwene between

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Tween girls showed their loyalty to Disney stars and shows by buying up their merchandise.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 24, 2024

Over time, the pair grew closer, bonding over their experiences of growing up in immigrant households and their shared love for the animated TV series "Tween Mutant Samurai Turtles."

From Salon • Jun. 7, 2022

Mum-of-one Natalie Tween says there was a "bit of apprehension" waking up on Monday.

From BBC • Jul. 19, 2021

Tween and teen musical theater fans will likely be quite entertained.

From Washington Post • Dec. 18, 2019

Or — ooh, I know: ‘Safe Tween Crush’?” “That one is so awesome!”

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023