'tween

[ tween ]

preposition

1. contraction of between.

noun

1. 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

/ twiːn /

contraction of

1. between

Word History and Origins

Origin of 'tween¹

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

Example Sentences

Industries catering to preteens have crumbled as social media has become the epicenter of cultural dissemination, with tween fashion and beauty largely being folded into brands that cater to adults.

From Slate

All I had to really do was figure out how Colin would be in these different stages of life: Colin as a baby or a toddler, then a tween and then a teen and trying to nail each of those without showing the acting and without pushing the joke.

From Los Angeles Times

Inside the complex, she had dozens of neighbors — elderly men and women with disabilities and little income, a mother who shared a mattress on the floor with her two tween daughters, a grandmother squeezed into a room with her daughter and 4-year old grandson.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Los Angeles Times

The halcyon days of the mid-2000s ushered in “High School Musical,” and the reach of “Hannah Montana” permeated pop culture beyond the tween audience it targeted.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• juvenile
• minor
• teenager
• tween
• youngster
• youth