tee | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

23 entries found.

"abound, swarm, be prolific," Old English teman (Mercian), tieman (West Saxon) "beget, give birth to, bring forth, produce, propagate," from Proto-Germanic *tau(h)mjan (denominative), from PIE root *deuk- "to lead." Related to team (n.) in its now-obsolete Old English sense of "family, brood of young animals." The meaning "abound, swarm" is first recorded 1590s, on the notion of "be full of as if ready to give birth." Related: Teemed; teeming.

teem (v.2)

"to flow copiously," early 14c., "to empty out" (transitive), from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse toema "to empty," from tomr "empty," cognate with Old English tom (adj.) "empty, free from." The original notion is of "to empty a vessel," thus "to pour out." Intransitive sense of "to pour, flow, stream" is from 1828. Related: Teemed; teeming.

pre-teen (adj.)

also preteen, "just prior to one's teenage years," 1926, from pre- + teen. As a noun, "pre-teen person," from 1962. Sub-teen (1944) also was used.

teenager (n.)

also teen ager, teen-ager; 1922, derived noun from teenage (q.v.). The earlier word for this was teener, attested in American English from 1894, and teen had been used as a noun to mean "teen-aged person" in 1818, though this was not common before 20c.

teeming (adj.)

"swarming," 1715, earlier "abundantly productive, fertile" (1590s), present-participle adjective from teem (v.1).

teeny-bopper (n.)

also teenybopper, 1966, from teen (n.) but also felt as influenced by teeny. For second element, see bop.

teeny (adj.)

1825, alteration of tiny; teeny-tiny attested from 1867. Alternative form teensy is attested from 1856 (teensy-weensy is from 1872). Also teenty (1844).

teenage (adj.)

also teen age, teen-age; 1911, from teen + age (n.). Originally in reference to Sunday School classes. Teen-aged (adj.) is from 1922.

teethe (v.)

early 15c., probably from an unrecorded Old English verb *teþan, from toþ "tooth" (from PIE root *dent- "tooth"). Related: Teethed; teething.

teetotaler (n.)

also teetotaller, 1834, agent noun from teetotal. Related: Teetotalism.

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