I. preposition Etymology: Middle English betwene, preposition & adverb, from Old English betwēonum, from be- + -twēonum (dative plural) (akin to Gothic tweihnai two each); akin to Old English twā two Date: before 12th century 1. by the common action of ; jointly engaging , in common to ; shared by , 2. in the time, space, or interval that separates, in intermediate relation to, 3. from one to another of , serving to connect or unite in a relationship (as difference, likeness, or proportion) , setting apart , 4. in preference for one or the other of , in point of comparison of , in confidence restricted to , taking together the combined effect of , Usage: There is a persistent but unfounded notion that ~ can be used only of two items and that among must be used for more than two. Between has been used of more than two since Old English; it is especially appropriate to denote a one-to-one relationship, regardless of the number of items. It can be used when the number is unspecified , when more than two are enumerated
, and even when only one item is mentioned (but repetition is implied)
. Among is more appropriate where the emphasis is on distribution rather than individual relationships . When among is automatically chosen for more than two, English idiom may be strained . II. adverb Date: before 12th century in an intermediate space or interval