tee

[ 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.

Nearby words

teddy girl, tedesco, tedious, tediously, tedium, tee, tee off, tee shirt, tee-ball, tee-hee, tee-joint

Origin of tee

First recorded in 1665–75; origin uncertain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for teed

Anxious labor activists know well that the Court has teed up a future challenge to all mandatory dues.
The Conservative Case for Unions After the Harris v. Quinn Decision|James Poulos|July 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This whole thing is teed up for Romney to get some momentum, you understand that, right?
Final Pre-Debate Thoughts|Michael Tomasky|October 3, 2012|DAILY BEAST
You almost wanted him to clench his teeth, slam his fist, kick the lectern—anything to show that he was teed off.
Aloof, Even in Defeat|Howard Kurtz|November 3, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Sean Hannity teed off on NPR, and had pollster Frank Luntz ask a focus group whether Williams was fired unfairly.
NPR's Juan Williams Disaster|Howard Kurtz|October 21, 2010|DAILY BEAST

The media narrative by now is set in concrete: The voters are teed off, rising up, mad as hell and ready to wreak havoc.
How the Media Blew the Midterms|Howard Kurtz|October 18, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Well, you seen, when they teed Rip up, t' poor awd lad didn't enjoy very good 'elth.
Soldiers Three|Rudyard Kipling
Teed came forward with an ominous self-confidence bordering on insolence.
In a Little Town|Rupert Hughes
Mr. Kraus was excused in a state of hydrophobic rage and Teed withdrew in all meekness.
In a Little Town|Rupert Hughes
The accusing witness was a janitor whom Teed had played various jokes on and had neglected to appease with tips.
In a Little Town|Rupert Hughes
Innes and Robertson were elected by thirty-six votes: the rest (eleven) went to Teed.
Cornish Characters|S. Baring-Gould

British Dictionary definitions for teed (1 of 3)

tee

/ (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 teed (2 of 3)

tee

/ (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

Word Origin for tee

C17 teaz, of unknown origin

British Dictionary definitions for teed (3 of 3)

tee

/ (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

Word Origin and History for teed

tee

in golf, 1721, back-formation from teaz (1673), taken as a plural; a Scottish word of uncertain origin. The original form was a little heap of sand. The verb meaning "place a ball on a golf tee" is recorded from 1673; figurative sense of "to make ready" (usually with up) is recorded from 1938. Teed off in the figurative sense of "angry, annoyed" is first recorded 1953, probably as a euphemism for p(iss)ed off.