noun / adjective
tween
TWEEN/twiːn/
A child roughly nine to twelve years old.
The eleven-year-old celebrating beside the birthday cake is a tween.
Etymology
Between supplies the image of an in-between stage: a child not yet a teenager. The age-group noun was also shaped by teen, helping explain its focus on the years just before adolescence.
In context
today i'd like to talk to you a little bit about the hallmarks of pre-teen development you know when you've got a tween that you're teaching in your sunday school class
More examples
- The summer camp welcomes tweens ages nine through twelve.
- As a tween, I spent weekends riding bikes with friends.
- The store has a small section of tween clothing.
Forms
tween · tweens
Similar words
- preteen
- Emphasizes being younger than thirteen, with a similar age range.
- child
- Covers a broader age range, not just the years before adolescence.