tee
1[ tee ]
/ ti /
Save This Word!
noun
adjective
having a crosspiece at the top; shaped like a T.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
Idioms about tee
to a tee. T1 (def. 6).
Origin of tee
1First recorded in 1600–10
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH tee
tea, teeOther definitions for tee (2 of 3)
tee2
[ tee ]
/ ti /
noun
Golf.
- Also called teeing ground . the starting place, usually a hard mound of earth, at the beginning of play for each hole.
- a small wooden, plastic, metal, or rubber peg from which the ball is driven, as in teeing off.
Football. a device on which the ball may be placed to raise it off the ground preparatory to kicking.
verb (used with object), teed, tee·ing.
Golf. to place (the ball) on a tee.
Verb Phrases
tee off,
- Golf. to strike the ball from a tee.
- Slang. to reprimand severely; scold: He teed off on his son for wrecking the car.
- Informal. to begin: They teed off the program with a medley of songs.
- 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.
- Baseball, Softball. to hit (a pitched ball) hard and far: He teed off on a fastball and drove it into the bleachers.
- Boxing. to strike with a powerful blow, especially to the head: He teed off on his opponent with an overhand right.
- Slang. to make angry, irritated, or disgusted: She was teed off because her dinner guests were late.
Origin of tee
2First recorded in 1665–75; origin uncertain
Other definitions for tee (3 of 3)
TEE
or T-E-E
abbreviation
Trans-Europe Express.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use tee in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for tee (1 of 3)
tee1
/ (tiː) /
noun
a pipe fitting in the form of a letter T, used to join three pipes
a metal section with a cross section in the form of a letter T, such as a rolled-steel joist
any part or component shaped like a T
British Dictionary definitions for tee (2 of 3)
tee2
/ (tiː) golf /
noun
Also called: teeing ground an area, often slightly elevated, from which the first stroke of a hole is made
a support for a golf ball, usually a small wooden or plastic peg, used when teeing off or in long grass, etc
verb tees, teeing or teed
(when intr, often foll by up) to position (the ball) ready for striking, on or as if on a tee
See also tee off
Word Origin for tee
C17 teaz, of unknown origin
British Dictionary definitions for tee (3 of 3)
tee3
/ (tiː) /
noun
a mark used as a target in certain games such as curling and quoits
Word Origin for tee
C18: perhaps from T-shaped marks, which may have originally been used in curling
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012