tee

1 of 3

noun (1)

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Through 36 holes at Colonial, Griffin is 19th in strokes gained off the tee, fifth in strokes gained approaching the green, seventh in strokes gained around the green, and ninth in putting. Jack Milko, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025 The ohana is located under one of the tee boxes adjacent to the main pool. Erik Matuszewski, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Verb
After dominating the field at Quail Hollow to win his first PGA Championship, Scheffler is teeing it up once again at the Charles Schwab Challenge just four days after lifting, and breaking the Wanamaker Trophy. Troy Finnegan‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025 Two more big-name players will be teeing it up at the Travelers Championship in June, as Patrick Cantlay and Tony Finau announced their commitments on Monday. Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 19 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for tee

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of tee was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tee. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

tee

1 of 3 noun
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

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