tee

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈtē 

1

: the letter t

2

: something shaped like a capital T

3

informal : t-shirt

wearing a cotton tee

4

: a mark aimed at in various games (such as curling)

tee

2 of 3

noun (2)

1

a

: a small mound or a peg on which a golf ball is placed before being struck at the beginning of play on a hole

b

: a device for holding a football in position for kicking

c

: an adjustable post on which a ball is placed for batting (as in T-ball)

2

: the area from which a golf ball is struck at the beginning of play on a hole

tee

3 of 3

verb

teed; teeing

transitive verb

: to place (a ball) on a tee

—often used with up

Phrases

to a tee

: exactly, precisely

the description fit her to a tee

Examples of tee in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The course comes with one tee box where players hit golf balls over the swimming pool, according to the property listing. —David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 27 Feb. 2025

Cheerful butter yellow bottle aside, this scent is solar to a tee. —Marci Robin, Allure, 27 Feb. 2025

Verb

Playing alongside the Champions Tour players will be 26 football legends teeing it up on Friday and Saturday. —Kari Barnett, Sun Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2025

Collin Morikawa, currently No. 5 in the Official World Golf Rankings, and Wyndham Clark (No. 7) will both tee it up at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell in June. —Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 26 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1673, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1673, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tee

• ringer tee
• tee ball
• tee-hee
• tee off
• tee off on (someone or something)
• tee shirt
• tee shot
• tee time
• tee up
• wind tee

Rhymes for tee

• be
• bee
• bree
• cree
• fee
• flea
• flee
• free
• gee
• ghee
• glee
• he

Kids Definition

tee

1 of 3 noun

ˈtē 

1

: the letter t

2

: something shaped like a capital T

3

informal : t-shirt

tee

2 of 3 noun

1

a

: a small peg on which a golf ball is set to be struck

b

: an adjustable post on which a ball is placed for batting (as in T-ball)

2

: the area from which a golf ball is struck in starting play on a hole

tee

3 of 3 verb

teed; teeing

: to place on a tee

teed up the ball