tee

1 of 3

noun (1)

1
: the letter t
2
: something shaped like a capital T
3
informal : t-shirt
wearing a cotton tee
4
: a mark aimed at in various games (such as curling)

tee

2 of 3

noun (2)

1
a
: a small mound or a peg on which a golf ball is placed before being struck at the beginning of play on a hole
b
: a device for holding a football in position for kicking
c
: an adjustable post on which a ball is placed for batting (as in T-ball)
2
: the area from which a golf ball is struck at the beginning of play on a hole

tee

3 of 3

verb

teed; teeing

transitive verb

: to place (a ball) on a tee
often used with up
Phrases
to a tee
: exactly, precisely
the description fit her to a tee

Examples of tee in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Embracing ’90s style, the Idol star paired a simple white baby tee with an cargo-style olive green miniskirt (here’s a similar one!), pulling her hair back with a scrunchie and, of course, accessorizing with black sunglasses. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 20 Mar. 2024 The Bernardo Double Breasted Trench Coat, for instance, can be thrown on over any outfit and is now 50 percent off, while this cute and versatile cropped waffle knit Madewell tee (great for spring and summer fashion) costs just $22 thanks to the retailer’s sale. Rachel Simon, Travel + Leisure, 20 Mar. 2024 Kate McGuire, the creative mind behind the converted closet, was the first to plant the seed of turning used tees from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s into a unique clothing line for retail. Stephanie Dillon, Rolling Stone, 18 Mar. 2024 All three had arrived at the final tee a stroke needing a birdie to make a playoff, but while reigning Open champion Harman and world No. 6 Schauffele got within a few feet of forcing Scheffler back out, Clark came within millimeters. Jack Bantock, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024 Allen did tee work Thursday and Brown got in about 50 swings in the cage and A’s manager Mark Kotsay is hopeful both can appear in a game this weekend. Jon Becker, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024 Cognizant Classic Course History And Betting Guide Tricky South Florida winds can constantly cause havoc as players navigate the tighter landing areas off the tee and seemingly tranquil water penalty areas throughout the course. Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 While your wardrobe might consist primarily of jeans and tees, simple, flowy dresses are an even more low-lift option for spring. Megan Schaltegger, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 Anna October sequin skirt Theory tiny tee Saint Laurent Mica cat-eye sunglasses Annika Inez sterling-silver tennis necklace Jil Sander knee-high boots Photographed by Phil Oh Shine Bright Here, a simple white skirt gets an upgrade with a pop of red and a sleek, metallic overcoat. Christina Holevas, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2024
Verb
Speaking to the media 20 hours before teeing it up in his first official PGA Tour event in 10 months, Tiger Woods expressed optimism about his health and his game. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2024 Now, analysts believe another hike is coming this year, and Netflix has already been teeing this up previously. Paul Tassi, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Charlie, who won a state championship with his Palm Beach high school golf teammates in November, will tee it up Thursday in Hobe Sound, Florida, at one of four pre-qualifying sites, according to the PGA Tour website. David Close, CNN, 22 Feb. 2024 Instead of tee boxes, there is one vast teeing area on each hole with the back and front marked, in many cases well over 100-yards long, and the player who won the previous hole gets to decide where to tee it up. Larry Olmsted, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Victoria Beckham first launched the slogan tees back in November as a good-natured way of poking fun at herself. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 30 Jan. 2024 The scenario that led him to San Diego, so soon after teeing it up in Asia, surely ranks near the top of that list. Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2024 Think of an expert who’s a psychologist for your career, someone who’s paid a retainer for a period of time to tee you up for long-term success. Phil Blair, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Nov. 2023 Christmas and Chanukah vibes are heavy this week on the pro golf calendar with major champions partnering up with a family member (think Tiger Woods playing with his son Charlie and Nelly Korda teeing it up with her dad Petr) but what fans really want this holiday season is a unified top circuit. Mike Dojc, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tee.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1673, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1673, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tee was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near tee

Cite this Entry

“Tee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tee. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tee

1 of 3 noun
1
: the letter t
2
: something shaped like a capital T

tee

2 of 3 noun
1
a
: a small peg on which a golf ball is set to be struck
b
: an adjustable post on which a ball is placed for batting (as in T-ball)
2
: the area from which a golf ball is struck in starting play on a hole

tee

3 of 3 verb
teed; teeing
: to place on a tee
teed up the ball

More from Merriam-Webster on tee

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