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Definition of "teem" [teem]

  • To be full of things; abound or swarm: A drop of water teems with microorganisms. (verb-intransitive)
  • Obsolete To be or become pregnant; bear young. (verb-intransitive)
  • Archaic To give birth to. (verb-transitive)
  • To pour out or empty: teemed the molten ore into a huge mold. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "teem" in a sentence
  • "The streets around the Jardin teem with restaurants and artisan shops."
  • "The words of Father John A. Conway, S.J. (in the preface to Fr. von Hammerstein's work, "Edgar, or from Atheism to the Full Truth") may well be quoted in this connection: "Who can read the words that teem from the German"
  • "Satyam you brought up Shakespeare; let me add Joyce: much as I love Ulysses and Leopold Bloom, the novel does not "teem"."