team
English
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /tiːm/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -iːm
- Homophone: teem
Etymology 1
From Middle English tem, teem, teme, from Old English tēam (“child-bearing, offspring, brood, set of draught animals”), from Proto-West Germanic *taum, from Proto-Germanic *taumaz (“that which draws or pulls”), from Proto-Germanic *taugijaną, *tugōną, *teuhōną, *teuhaną (“to lead, bring, pull, draw”), from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to pull, lead”).
Cognate with Scots team, teem (“a chain, harness”), West Frisian team (“bridle, team”), Dutch toom (“bridle, reins, flock of birds”), German Zaum (“bridle”), Norwegian tømme (“bridle, rein”), Swedish töm (“leash, rein”). More at teem, tie, tow.
Noun
team (plural teams)
- A set of draught animals, such as two horses in front of a carriage.
- 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter 3, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, OCLC 1069526323:
- It happened almost every day that coaches stuck fast, until a team of cattle could be procured from some neighbouring farm to tug them out of the slough.
- 1931, William Faulkner, Sanctuary, Vintage 1993, page 111:
- The adjacent alleys were choked with tethered wagons, the teams reversed and nuzzling gnawed corn-ears over the tail-boards.
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- Any group of people involved in the same activity, especially sports or work.
- We need more volunteers for the netball team.
- The IT manager leads a team of three software developers.
- (obsolete) A group of animals moving together, especially young ducks.
- 1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “(please specify |book=I to XXXVII)”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the VVorld. Commonly Called, The Natvrall Historie of C. Plinivs Secvndus. […], (please specify |tome=1 or 2), London: […] Adam Islip, published 1635, OCLC 1180792622:
- she will wonder to have a teeme of ducklings about her
- 1697, Virgil, “Aeneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], OCLC 403869432:
- a long team of snowy swans on high
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- (UK, law, obsolete) A royalty or privilege granted by royal charter to a lord of a manor, of having, keeping, and judging in his court, his bondmen, neifes, and villains, and their offspring, or suit, that is, goods and chattels, and appurtenances thereto.
- 1871, Alexander M. Burrill, Law Dictioary & Glossary, vol II,
- TEAM, Theam, Tem, Them. Sax. [from tyman, to propagate, to teem.] In old English law. Literally, an offspring, race or generation. A royalty or privilege granted by royal charter to a lord of a manor, of having, keeping and judging in his court, his bondmen, neifes and villeins, and their offspring or suit. They who had a jurisdiction of this kind, were said to have a court of Theme... constantly used in the old books in connection with toll, in the expression Toll & Team.
- 1871, Alexander M. Burrill, Law Dictioary & Glossary, vol II,
- A group of people who favor one side of a binary debate that is divided and lacks a well-established clear consensus.
- 2019 December 27, Bill Chappell, “People Can't Even Agree On When The Decade Ends”, in NPR:
- As Jan. 1, 2020, approaches, it turns out there is a Team Zero and a Team 1 – those who believe the new decade will begin after midnight on the upcoming New Year's Eve and those who believe the burgeoning celebrations of a new decade (and all the "last decade" retrospectives) are in fact a year early.
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Usage notes
- In British English, team is construed as plural, emphasizing the members. In US English it is construed as singular, emphasizing the group. This conforms to the general practice in the two dialects for collective nouns.
- British English: 2012, Institute of Leadership & Management, Building the Team, page 124:
- At the storming stage, the team are trying to establish relationships with one another, and to determine who will take the dominant roles.
- American English: 2010, William G. Dyer, W. Gibb Dyer, Jr., Jeffrey H. Dyer, Team Building: Proven Strategies for Improving Team Performance:
- When a subordinate wants to give feedback to a boss, this is typically only done in a roundabout way through the “grapevine” (other members of the team), usually when the team is out at night drinking.
- British English:
Derived terms
- dog team
- teammate
- team spirit
- team sport
- teamster
- team track
- teamwork
Descendants
- → Catalan: tim
- → Dutch: team
- → Indonesian: tim
- → German: Team
- → Italian: team
- → Japanese: チーム (chīmu)
- → Korean: 팀 (tim)
- → Portuguese: time
- → Swedish: team
- → Welsh: tîm
Translations
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Verb
team (third-person singular simple present teams, present participle teaming, simple past and past participle teamed)
- (intransitive) To form a group, as for sports or work.
- They teamed to complete the project.
- (intransitive, by extension) To go together well; to harmonize.
- 2005, Jill Dupleix, Good Cooking: The New Basics (page 32)
- Rich, creamy avocado is cut back by the citrus sharpness of grapefruit in this Israeli-inspired salad. It's brilliant for a brunchy breakfast, and teams well with grilled salmon, tuna, or mackerel for dinner.
- 2005, Jill Dupleix, Good Cooking: The New Basics (page 32)
- (transitive) To convey or haul with a team.
- to team lumber
- 1857, Henry David Thoreau journal entry for Feb. 4 1857
- the farmer has been all winter teaming wood along the river
- (transitive) To form together into a team.
- to team oxen
- (transitive) To give work to a gang under a subcontractor.
Derived terms
- double-team
Verb
team
- Misspelling of teem.
Anagrams
- AEMT, ATEM, Atem, META, Meta, Tame, Tema, mate, maté, meat, meta, meta-, tame
Chinese
Etymology
From English team.
Pronunciation
Noun
team
- (Hong Kong Cantonese) a group of people working in cooperation and involved in the same activity (Classifier: 條/条 c)
Classifier
team
- (Hong Kong Cantonese) Classifier for teams of people.
Dutch
Etymology
Borrowed from English team, from Middle English teme, from Old English tēam (“child-bearing, offspring, brood, set of draught animals”), from Proto-West Germanic *taum, from Proto-Germanic *taumaz (“that which draws or pulls”), from Proto-Germanic *taugijaną, *tugōną, *teuhōną, *teuhaną (“to lead, bring, pull, draw”), from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to pull, lead”).
Doublet with native Dutch toom.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /tiːm/
Audio (file)
Noun
team n (plural teams, diminutive teampje n)
- team (group of people)
- Synonym: ploeg
Derived terms
- fabrieksteam
- onderzoeksteam
- teamgeest
- teambuilding
Italian
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from English team.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈtim/
- Rhymes: -im
Noun
team m (invariable)
- team (group of people)
- Synonyms: squadra, gruppo
Anagrams
- Meta, mate, matè, meta, meta-, metà, tema
Middle English
Noun
team
- (Early Middle English) Alternative form of tem (“group”)
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
From English team.
Noun
team n (definite singular teamet, indefinite plural team, definite plural teama or teamene)
- a team
Synonyms
- lag
Derived terms
- teamarbeid
References
- “team” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology
From English team.
Noun
team n (definite singular teamet, indefinite plural team, definite plural teama)
- a team
Synonyms
- lag
Derived terms
- teamarbeid
References
- “team” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Old English
Etymology
From Proto-West Germanic *taum, from Proto-Germanic *taumaz (“pull, draw”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /tæ͜ɑːm/
Noun
tēam m (nominative plural tēamas)
- childbirth
- family, offspring
- a team of draught animals
- an Anglo-Saxon legal procedure in a stolen goods suit
Declension
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
nominative | tēam | tēamas |
accusative | tēam | tēamas |
genitive | tēames | tēama |
dative | tēame | tēamum |
Related terms
- tīeman
Descendants
- Middle English: tem, teem, teeme, teme, teome, them, theam; tæm, team
- English: team (see there for further descendants)
- Scots: team
Polish
Etymology
Borrowed from English team, from Middle English teme, from Old English tēam, from Proto-West Germanic *taum, from Proto-Germanic *taumaz, from Proto-Germanic *taugijaną, *tugōną, *teuhōną, *teuhaną, from Proto-Indo-European *dewk-.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /tim/
Audio (file) - Rhymes: -im
- Syllabification: team
Noun
team m inan
- team (well-coordinated group of people working together)
- (sports) team
- Synonym: drużyna
Declension
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
nominative | team | teamy |
genitive | teamu | teamów |
dative | teamowi | teamom |
accusative | team | teamy |
instrumental | teamem | teamami |
locative | teamie | teamach |
vocative | teamie | teamy |
Further reading
- team in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
- team in Polish dictionaries at PWN
Romanian
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from English team.
Noun
team n (uncountable)
- team (sports)
Declension
singular | ||
---|---|---|
n gender | indefinite articulation | definite articulation |
nominative/accusative | (un) team | teamul |
genitive/dative | (unui) team | teamului |
vocative | teamule |
Swedish
Etymology
From English team.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /tiːm/
- Rhymes: -iːm
Noun
team n
- a team of people
Declension
Declension of team | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
Nominative | team | teamet | team | teamen |
Genitive | teams | teamets | teams | teamens |
Synonyms
- lag
Anagrams
- meta, tame, tema
West Frisian
Etymology 1
From Old Frisian tām, from Proto-West Germanic *taum, from Proto-Germanic *taumaz.
Noun
team c (plural teammen, diminutive teamke)
- bridle
Further reading
- “team (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011
Etymology 2
Borrowed from English team.
Noun
team n (plural teams, diminutive teamke)
- team
- Sirkulaasjefollybal is in fariant op it gewoane follybal, mei 4 spilers yn elts team.
- Mini-volleyball is a variation of normal volleyball, with 4 players on each team.
- Synonym: ploech
Derived terms
- teamwurk