teem¹ Definition
teem (tēm)
intransitive verb
- Obsolete to produce offspring; bear
- to be full, as though ready to bring forth young; abound; swarm a river teeming with fish
Etymology: ME temen < OE tieman, to produce, bear < base of team, progeny: see team
teem² Definition
teem (tēm)
transitive verb
to empty; pour out
Etymology: ME temen < ON tœma, to empty
intransitive verb
to pour a teeming rain
teem Synonyms
teem
v.
teem Usage Examples
Object
- metropolis: A coral reef is a teeming metropolis built upon the living skeletons of tiny soft polyps.
- multitude: In the great mountain ranges, let the teeming multitudes grovel in the dust for her.
- million: Referred to within: 55, feature Whatever happened to the teeming millions?
- rain: A photographer drives me, at top speed in teeming rain, to Reykjavik.
- mass: TV for the unwashed, teeming masses is much lower.
- wildlife: You get to see teeming wildlife in pristine wilderness.
Preposition: with
- birdlife: The walk takes you across stony beaches and over a series of cliffs teeming with birdlife.
- seabird: There are impressive vertical cliffs all along the west coast teeming with seabirds in early summer.
- wildlife: Yet these supposedly empty places are of course teeming with wildlife.
- fish: The sea is alive, teeming with fish, teeming with life.
- bird: To say that the area is teeming with birds would be an understatement.
- life: The place is teeming with bird life, only there is not time to look now, the first team is ready to start.
Modifying Another Word
- literally: Greece Greece is literally teeming with ' world music ' activity.
- absolutely: The Fringe Pool is absolutely teeming with golden flanked cheeky Crucian Carp.
- once: The county was once teeming with industry as a supplier of finished goods and agricultural products.
- all: We are all teeming with preconceptions, including me.
- already: The Apollo is already teeming with people as I get in, about 20 minutes before Paradise Lost are due to start their set.
- still: On the streets of London, meanwhile, it is still teeming with rain.
Followed by an intransitive particle
down: It's mid July as I write this and the rain is teeming down outside my window.
Browse dictionary entries near teem
- ‹ teel
- ‹ tee shirt
- ‹ tee-hee
- ‹ tee
- ‹ tedium
- ‹ tediousness
- ‹ tedious
- ‹ Teddy boy
- ‹ teddy bear
- ‹ teddy
- teeming ›
- teen ›
- -teen ›
- teenage ›
- teenager ›
- teens ›
- teeny ›
- teeny-bopper ›
- teeny-weeny ›
- teepee ›

