teem

¹ American  

[teem] / tim /

verb (used without object)

1. to abound or swarm; be prolific or fertile (usually followed bywith ).

   Synonyms:

   bristle, overrun, brim, overflow

2. Obsolete. to be or become pregnant; bring forth young.

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verb (used with object)

1. Obsolete. to produce (offspring).

teem ² American  

[teem] / tim /

verb (used with or without object)

1. to empty or pour out; discharge.

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teem ¹ British  

/ tiːm /

verb

1. to be prolific or abundant (in); abound (in)

2. obsolete to bring forth (young)

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teem ² British  

/ tiːm /

verb

1. (intr; often foll by down or with rain) to pour in torrents

   it's teeming down

2. (tr) to pour or empty out

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Other Word Forms

• teemer noun

Etymology

Origin of teem¹

before 900; Middle English temen, Old English tēman, tīeman to produce (offspring), derivative of tēam team

Origin of teem²

1250–1300; Middle English temen < Old Norse tæma to empty, derivative of tōmr empty, cognate with Old English tōm free from

Example Sentences

Their repair garage teems with an array of inoperable vehicles and twisted metal.

From Los Angeles Times

By Thursday, the area which is usually teeming with tourists was unusually quiet, Mr Paska said.

From BBC

Mamikunian, on the other hand, believed the city was teeming with raw talent, but there was no place for it to develop.

From Los Angeles Times

This December, festivals, parties and concerts have Accra teeming with diasporans and other tourists.

From BBC

This area of the North Sea is teeming with depleted oil and gas fields like Nini, as well as deep rock basins.

From Barron's

Related Words

• brim
• bustle
• crawl
• overflow
• overrun
• swarm
• swell