tee

¹

[ tee ]

noun

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

adjective

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

tee

²

[ tee ]

noun

1. 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.
2. 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.

1. Golf. to place (the ball) on a tee.

verb phrase

1. 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.

TEE

³

or T-E-E

abbreviation for

1. Trans-Europe Express.

tee

¹

/ tiː /

noun

1. a mark used as a target in certain games such as curling and quoits

tee

²

/ tiː /

noun

1. Also calledteeing ground an area, often slightly elevated, from which the first stroke of a hole is made
2. a support for a golf ball, usually a small wooden or plastic peg, used when teeing off or in long grass, etc

verb

1. whenintr, often foll by up to position (the ball) ready for striking, on or as if on a tee

tee

³

/ tiː /

noun

1. a pipe fitting in the form of a letter T, used to join three pipes
2. a metal section with a cross section in the form of a letter T, such as a rolled-steel joist
3. any part or component shaped like a T

Word History and Origins

Origin of tee¹

First recorded in 1600–10

Origin of tee²

First recorded in 1665–75; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of tee¹

C18: perhaps from T-shaped marks, which may have originally been used in curling

Origin of tee²

C17 teaz, of unknown origin

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. to a tee. T ¹( def 6 ).

Example Sentences

When Australia's Noah Lolesio, excellent off the tee, landed a penalty in the final act of the first half his team hit the front for the first time in the match.

From BBC

Make sure to reserve a tee time, and get out there on the links.

From Los Angeles Times

"Sometimes that's the life of a kicker, we've all experienced that. It's part and parcel of the job," said Smith, who struggled off the tee in the first Test defeat by New Zealand in July.

From BBC

The summer series against England could easily have gone another way with Marcus Smith's off-day off the tee in Dunedin an obvious fork in the road.

From BBC

Flanked by overpriced band tees and 20-somethings who somehow managed to all look like the same type of hipster, we hunted for bargains.

From Los Angeles Times