Dictionary.com

tee

1
[ tee ]
/ ti /

noun

the letter T or t.
something shaped like a T, as a three-way joint used in fitting pipes together.
T-bar.
T-shirt.
the mark aimed at in various games, as curling.

adjective

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

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Idioms for tee

    to a tee. T1 (def. 6).

Origin of tee

1
Spelling form of the letter name

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH tee

tea, tee

Definition for tee (2 of 3)

tee2
[ tee ]
/ ti /

noun

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.
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,
  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.

Origin of tee

2
First recorded in 1665–75; origin uncertain

Definition for tee (3 of 3)

TEE

or T-E-E

Trans-Europe Express.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for tee

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