tweenager en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈtwiːnˌeɪ.d͡ʒə(ɹ)/
Etymology
Blend of 'tween + teenager. Attested as early as the 1950s, but popularized in the late 20th or early 21st century.
Meanings
-
A young person who is not yet a teenager (being less than thirteen years old), but starting to act like one: generally ten to twelve years old.
Your eight to twelve year old is in the gray area between early childhood and the teen years. He is a child in the middle—a “tweenager.”
1994, Mary Manz Simon, How to Parent Your “Tweenager”, page 6:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 'tweenager | alternative | lexicographic | |
| tweenagers | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Relateds
tween · tweenie · tweener · tweenage