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

Those same banks are teeming with relatively dormant deposits.

From Barron's

The windows weren’t glassed in at the rear of the streetcar, and the wind cooled my face as we screeched and clanged through streets teeming with motorcars and pedestrians.

From Literature

Footage reveals a bright blue, yellow and orange mountain side teeming with life - golden towers of coral growing next to coral that look like large brains.

From BBC

He previously lived for years in San Diego County, where he ran along waterways teeming with birds among reeds, willows and sycamores.

From Los Angeles Times

On New Year’s Eve, during my family’s stay, the hotel was teeming with visitors in black tie.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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