tween
tween Lexical Profile
tween Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A child in the developmental stage between middle childhood and adolescence, typically between the ages of eight and twelve.
"Many tweens begin to develop a stronger sense of independence and peer identity before entering high school."
In digital animation, an intermediate frame or sequence of frames generated between two keyframes to create the appearance of smooth motion.
"The animator set the initial and final poses and let the software calculate the tween automatically."
• adjective
Relating to, characteristic of, or intended for children between the ages of approximately eight and twelve.
"The television network launched a new lineup of sitcoms aimed specifically at the tween audience."
• verb
To generate intermediate frames between two keyframes in digital animation to produce smooth, continuous movement.
"Modern graphics software can tween shapes and colors seamlessly across the timeline."
• Rhymes for tween
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the early 20th century as a blend of "teen" and "between" (popularized in marketing during the late 1980s for preadolescents, though J.R.R. Tolkien earlier used "tweens" for hobbits in their twenties); the animation sense is a shortening of "in-between".