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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
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2024
We are blessed by huge stretches of fertile farmland, sturdy forest, gorgeous beaches, and teeming fisheries.
—The Editors, National Review, 28 Nov. 2024
Instead of selling a sexualized image, Welch, with the collaboration of music video and photography directors, has created a visual world that’s been seized on by her fans and replicated at her concerts, which can resemble teeming fantasy fashion shows.
—Lauren Groff, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2024
Scientists used an underwater robot to unearth part of the seafloor and found life, including giant tube worms, teeming beneath it.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 16 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Teem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teem. Accessed 24 Dec. 2024.
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