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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").
Examples of teem in a Sentence
Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 25 May 2025
Because in the gutters — of which there are precious few in the Chomet — there would teem the magnificent tumults and silences that constitute and propel a life.
—Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 20 May 2025
The giants elude us, but pods of leaping dolphins and a few snorkeling sessions around the reefs showcase the area’s teeming life.
—Calin Van Paris, Outside Online, 18 Apr. 2025
In Jacmel, 60 miles from the capital, families sunbathe at the beach, shop at teeming markets and zip about on moto-taxis through crowded streets.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for teem
Cite this Entry
“Teem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teem. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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