team

American  

[teem] / tim /

noun

1. a number of persons forming one of the sides in a game or contest.

   a football team.

2. a number of persons associated in some joint action.

   a team of advisers.

3. two or more horses, oxen, or other animals harnessed together to draw a vehicle, plow, or the like.

4. one or more draft animals together with the harness and vehicle drawn.

5. a family of young animals, especially ducks or pigs.

6. Obsolete. offspring or progeny; lineage or stock.

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verb (used with object)

1. to join together in a team.

2. Chiefly Northern U.S. Older Use. to convey or transport by means of a team; haul.

verb (used without object)

1. to drive a team.

2. to gather or join in a team, a band, or a cooperative effort (usually followed by up, together, etc.).

   Synonyms:

   merge, ally, unite, combine

adjective

1. of, relating to, or performed by a team.

   a team sport; team effort.

team British  

/ tiːm /

noun

1. a group of people organized to work together

2. a group of players forming one of the sides in a sporting contest

3. two or more animals working together to pull a vehicle or agricultural implement

4. such animals and the vehicle

   the coachman riding his team

5. dialect a flock, herd, or brood

6. obsolete ancestry

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verb

1. to make or cause to make a team

   he teamed George with Robert

2. (tr) to drag or transport in or by a team

3. (intr) to drive a team

Grammar

See collective noun.

Usage

What does team mean? A team is a group of people who work together in a joint action, as in Our Academic Decathlon team was made up of some of the smartest kids in our school. A team is also a group of people on one side of a contest or game, such as a soccer team or a trivia team. A team is also two or more draft animals, such as horses, harnessed together to pull something, like a plow or a cart. To team up is to form a group to work together, as in Miles and Lex teamed up to study for the big science test next month. Example: My team is working hard on these software solutions for streaming platforms.

Other Word Forms

• interteam
  adjective
• underteamed
  adjective
• unteamed
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of team

First recorded before 900; Middle English teme (noun), Old English tēam “child-bearing, brood, offspring, set of draft beasts”; cognate with Dutch toom “bridle, reins,” German Zaum, Old Norse taumr

Explanation

If you're part of a frisbee team, you're part of a group of people who cooperate to throw a plastic disc around. It's neat. Two or more of people working together on a single task can be called a team, whether that's an informal team or a professional one. The two horses that pull your carriage are a team, and the guys you play soccer with on Saturday mornings are also a team. Team can also be a verb, meaning "to join forces." If you want to beautify your town, team up with local people to paint a mural for the community.

Example Sentences

Currie said the team discovered that the regenerating epidermis, or skin tissue, in all three species activated two genes called SP6 and SP8.

From Science Daily • May 9, 2026

"Maybe in one or two years we see what's most successful and then we can team up."

From Barron's • May 9, 2026

He claims that he went to see a senior team leader in Greenwich, Conn., and asked that they not be put on further assignments together.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

Smesko’s squad will be an elite rebounding team, and 6-foot-6 rookie Madina Okot could get some time to develop into Atlanta’s next star.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

"You'll be on the payroll of the Empire Canning Company, the same as always, but you'll spend ten hours a day on the trail, getting your team in shape."

From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell

Related Words

• club
• company
• lineup
• organization
• party
• side
• squad
• unit