v. t. [ Pref. be- + an old verb teem to be fitting; cf. D. betamen to beseem, G. ziemen, Goth. gatiman, and E. tame. See Tame, a. ] 1. To give ; to bestow; to grant; to accord; to consent. [ Obs. ] Spenser. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To allow; to permit; to suffer. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

So loving to my mother,
That he might not beteem the winds of heaven
Visit her face too roughly. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

prep. [ OE. bytwene, bitweonen, AS. betweónan, betweónum; prefix be- by + a form fr. AS. twā two, akin to Goth. tweihnai two apiece. See Twain, and cf. Atween, Betwixt. ] 1. In the space which separates; betwixt; as, New York is between Boston and Philadelphia. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Used in expressing motion from one body or place to another; from one to another of two. [ 1913 Webster ]

If things should go so between them. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Belonging in common to two; shared by both. [ 1913 Webster ]

Castor and Pollux with only one soul between them. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Belonging to, or participated in by, two, and involving reciprocal action or affecting their mutual relation; as, opposition between science and religion. [ 1913 Webster ]

An intestine struggle, open or secret, between authority and liberty. Hume. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. With relation to two, as involved in an act or attribute of which another is the agent or subject; as, to judge between or to choose between courses; to distinguish between you and me; to mediate between nations. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. In intermediate relation to, in respect to time, quantity, or degree; as, between nine and ten o'clock. [ 1913 Webster ]

Between decks, the space, or in the space, between the decks of a vessel. --
Between ourselves,
Between you and me,
Between themselves, in confidence; with the understanding that the matter is not to be communicated to others. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Between, Among. Between etymologically indicates only two; as, a quarrel between two men or two nations; to be between two fires, etc. It is however extended to more than two in expressing a certain relation. I . . . hope that between public business, improving studies, and domestic pleasures, neither melancholy nor caprice will find any place for entrance. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ] Among implies a mass or collection of things or persons, and always supposes more than two; as, the prize money was equally divided among the ship's crew. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Intermediate time or space; interval. [ Poetic & R. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

prep. [ OE. bytwene, bitweonen, AS. betweónan, betweónum; prefix be- by + a form fr. AS. twā two, akin to Goth. tweihnai two apiece. See Twain, and cf. Atween, Betwixt. ] 1. In the space which separates; betwixt; as, New York is between Boston and Philadelphia. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Used in expressing motion from one body or place to another; from one to another of two. [ 1913 Webster ]

If things should go so between them. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Belonging in common to two; shared by both. [ 1913 Webster ]

Castor and Pollux with only one soul between them. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Belonging to, or participated in by, two, and involving reciprocal action or affecting their mutual relation; as, opposition between science and religion. [ 1913 Webster ]

An intestine struggle, open or secret, between authority and liberty. Hume. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. With relation to two, as involved in an act or attribute of which another is the agent or subject; as, to judge between or to choose between courses; to distinguish between you and me; to mediate between nations. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. In intermediate relation to, in respect to time, quantity, or degree; as, between nine and ten o'clock. [ 1913 Webster ]

Between decks, the space, or in the space, between the decks of a vessel. --
Between ourselves,
Between you and me,
Between themselves, in confidence; with the understanding that the matter is not to be communicated to others. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Between, Among. Between etymologically indicates only two; as, a quarrel between two men or two nations; to be between two fires, etc. It is however extended to more than two in expressing a certain relation. I . . . hope that between public business, improving studies, and domestic pleasures, neither melancholy nor caprice will find any place for entrance. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ] Among implies a mass or collection of things or persons, and always supposes more than two; as, the prize money was equally divided among the ship's crew. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Intermediate time or space; interval. [ Poetic & R. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]