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• tee
  tee

  noun

  the letter T or t.
• TEE
  TEE

  abbreviation

  Trans-Europe Express.

tee

¹ American  

[tee] / ti /

noun

1. the letter T or t.

2. something shaped like a T , as a three-way joint used in fitting pipes together.

3. T-bar.

4. T-shirt.

5. the mark aimed at in various games, as curling.

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adjective

1. having a crosspiece at the top; shaped like a T .

idioms

1. to a tee. T.

tee ² American  

[tee] / ti /

noun

1. Golf.

   1. Also called teeing ground.  the starting place, usually a hard mound of earth, at the beginning of play for each hole.

   2. a small wooden, plastic, metal, or rubber peg from which the ball is driven, as in teeing off.

2. Football. a device on which the ball may be placed to raise it off the ground preparatory to kicking.

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verb (used with object)

tees, present (3rd person singular) teed, past participle, past teeing present participle

1. Golf. to place (the ball) on a tee.

verb phrase

1. tee off

   1. Golf. to strike the ball from a tee.

   2. Slang. to reprimand severely; scold.

      He teed off on his son for wrecking the car.

   3. Informal. to begin.

      They teed off the program with a medley of songs.

   4. Baseball, Softball. to make many runs and hits, especially extra-base hits.

      teeing off for six runs on eight hits, including three doubles and a home run.

   5. Baseball, Softball. to hit (a pitched ball) hard and far.

      He teed off on a fastball and drove it into the bleachers.

   6. Boxing. to strike with a powerful blow, especially to the head.

      He teed off on his opponent with an overhand right.

   7. Slang. to make angry, irritated, or disgusted.

      She was teed off because her dinner guests were late.

TEE ³ American  

Or T-E-E

abbreviation

1. Trans-Europe Express.

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tee ¹ British  

/ tiː /

noun

1. a pipe fitting in the form of a letter T, used to join three pipes

2. a metal section with a cross section in the form of a letter T, such as a rolled-steel joist

3. any part or component shaped like a T

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tee ² British  

/ tiː /

noun

1. Also called: teeing ground.  an area, often slightly elevated, from which the first stroke of a hole is made

2. a support for a golf ball, usually a small wooden or plastic peg, used when teeing off or in long grass, etc

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verb

1. to position (the ball) ready for striking, on or as if on a tee

tee ³ British  

/ tiː /

noun

1. a mark used as a target in certain games such as curling and quoits

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Other Word Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has teed
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have teed
  perfect
• is teeing
  progressive 3rd person singular
• have been teeing
  perfect progressive
• are teeing
  progressive
• has been teeing
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• am teeing
  progressive 1st person singular
• tees
  singular 3rd person
• teeing
  participle

Past

• had teed
  perfect
• were teeing
  progressive plural
• was teeing
  progressive singular
• had been teeing
  perfect progressive
• teed
  simple
• teed
  participle

Future

• will tee
  simple
• will have teed
  perfect
• will have been teeing
  perfect progressive
• will be teeing
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of tee¹

First recorded in 1600–10

Origin of tee²

First recorded in 1665–75; origin uncertain

Explanation

In golf, a tee is the small wooden support off of which you hit a golf ball. The word tee is also used more generally for the area of a golf course where you begin a match. Other sports that use a tee include tee ball, American football, and rugby—each of these tees is significantly larger than a golf tee. As a verb, tee means "hit off of a tee," and in golf you "tee off" when play begins. Besides its Scottish origin, not much is known about where this word comes from. Informally, when you're teed off at someone, you're really angry.

Example Sentences

His first effort featured a  cyan-colored Virgin Mary image layered on a retro Chivas tee, which gained traction on his Instagram account.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

Whether it be screen printing powerful messages on a traditional tee, or upcycling large shirts into more flattering silhouettes, creatives are finding innovative ways to show off their pride.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

He probably dropped a few breadcrumbs somewhere between the first tee and the 18th tee, and you didn’t take the bait, so he finally gave up.

From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026

Zac Ward missed a tackle and that opened the space for the French side to rattle forward as Auguste Cadot found N'Gandebe who raced over, and Domingo Miotti levelled the game from the tee.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

Feeling somewhat nervous, Jeremy followed the street until it came to a tee.

From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville