between 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

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