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Teem and team are not just homophones, they are also etymological kin. Teem comes from Old English tīman or tǣman, which originally meant "to bring forth offspring" or "to give birth to.” That word is related to the ancestor of team, the Old English noun tēam, meaning "offspring, lineage, or group of draft animals." Team can still be used to refer to a brood of young animals, especially pigs or ducks, but both teem and team have otherwise largely left their offspring-related senses behind.
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What is the difference between the verbs teem and team?
If you want to describe an overflowing abundance of something, the word you are looking for is teem. We often see reference to "the teeming masses," "streets teeming with activity," or "forests teeming with life." You want the word team if you are trying to describe pairing two or more things in a coordinated ensemble ("she teamed the oxen together"), or forming some kind of partnership or association ("we are teaming with another organization this year").
Synonyms
Examples of teem in a Sentence
Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
Tony D'Souza Published: May 1, 2007 Central America The Cult of Belize
Prepare to be converted by this tiny Central American nation of raw, dark jungle, teeming reefs, and a very original cast of locals.
—David Ewing Duncan, Outside Online, 17 May 2022
Though sparse in detail, her buildings teem, as the city does, with life.
—Grace Edquist, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2024
Spawning grunion shun the spotlight In spring and summer, during the few days following a full moon, teeming grunion pack the shorelines during dramatic spawning runs.
—Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Teem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teem. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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