Between , as here considered, means flanked by two objects, one on either side.

• The Tasman Sea lies between Australia and New Zealand; between the devil and the deep blue sea.

When between and among are used by extension to indicate a sharing, between is normally used when two objects are involved and among when more than two are involved: an inheritance divided between two heirs and shared among three heirs. Occasionally between is used to express such a relationship involving more than two objects, particularly if the relation involves each object individually or if it involves relationships between pairs of objects within the larger group: A political dispute involving six nations may be settled by an agreement between them.

In precise use, amid means surrounded by either separate objects or an undifferentiated mass or quantity.

• A church stands amid skyscrapers; A reaper works amid the grain; A man may keep calm amid confusion.

Among , as here considered, means surrounded by or included in a group of separate but similar objects.

• Augustus Caesar was called princeps ?chief among equals; A diary was among the effects left by a deceased.

The motion of joint action also requires among : They decided among themselves.

Amidst and more particularly amongst are growing in popularity as variants of amid and among , although they were once reserved for contexts where greater dispersion and mixing were involved. Betwixt as a variant of between is generally avoided as archaic or poetic.