Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Sports & Games A group on the same side, as in a game.
  • noun A group organized for work or activity.
  • noun Two or more draft animals used to pull a vehicle or farm implement.
  • noun A vehicle along with the animal or animals harnessed to it.
  • noun A group of animals exhibited or performing together, as horses at an equestrian show.
  • noun A brood or flock.
  • intransitive verb To harness or join together so as to form a team.
  • intransitive verb To transport or haul with a draft team.
  • intransitive verb To form a team or an association. Often used with up.
  • intransitive verb To drive a team or truck.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Family; offspring; progeny.
  • noun Race; lineage.
  • noun A litter or brood; a pair.
  • noun A number, series, or line of animals moving together; a flock.
  • noun Two or more horses, oxen, or other beasts harnessed together for drawing, as to a coach, chariot, wagon, cart, sleigh, or plow.
  • noun A number of persons associated, as for the performance of a definite piece of work, or forming one of the parties or sides in a game, match, or the like: as, a team of foot-ball or base-ball players.
  • noun In Eng. universities, the pupils of a coach, or private tutor.
  • noun In Anglo-Saxon law, the right or franchise sometimes granted to compel holders of lost or stolen goods to give up the name of the person from whom they were received, by requiring such a holder to vouch to warranty. See vouch.
  • To join together in a team.
  • To work, convey, haul, or the like with a team.
  • In contractors' work, to give out (portions of the work) to a gang or team under a subcontractor.
  • To do work with a team.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb To engage in the occupation of driving a team of horses, cattle, or the like, as in conveying or hauling lumber, goods, etc.; to be a teamster.
  • transitive verb rare To convey or haul with a team.
  • noun A group of young animals, especially of young ducks; a brood; a litter.
  • noun Hence, a number of animals moving together.
  • noun Two or more horses, oxen, or other beasts harnessed to the same vehicle for drawing, as to a coach, wagon, sled, or the like.
  • noun A number of persons associated together in any work; a gang; especially, a number of persons selected to contend on one side in a match, or a series of matches, in a cricket, football, rowing, etc.
  • noun (Zoöl.) A flock of wild ducks.
  • noun (O. Eng. Law) A royalty or privilege granted by royal charter to a lord of a manor, of having, keeping, and judging in his court, his bondmen, neifes, and villains, and their offspring, or suit, that is, goods and chattels, and appurtenances thereto.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A set of draught animals, such as two horses in front of a carriage.
  • noun Any group of people involved in the same activity, especially referring to sports and work.
  • verb intransitive To form a group, as for sports or work.
  • verb transitive To convey or haul with a team.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a cooperative unit (especially in sports)
  • verb form a team
  • noun two or more draft animals that work together to pull something

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English tem, team of draft animals, from Old English tēam; see deuk- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English teme, from Old English tēam ("child-bearing, offspring, brood, set of draught animals"), from Proto-Germanic *taumaz (“that which draws or pulls”), from Proto-Germanic *taugijanan, *tugōnan, *teuhōnan, *teuhanan (“to lead, bring, pull, draw”), from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to pull, lead”). Cognate with Dutch toom ("bridle, reins, flock of birds"), German Zaum ("bridle"), Norwegian tømme ("bridle, rein"), Swedish töm ("leash, rein"). More at tie, tow.

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Examples

Comments

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  • Synonymous with code, referring to a medical emergency that requires immediate intervention, presumably named so because there's a set team of professionals who respond when called.

    January 26, 2008

  • ... I learned to harness and hitch and work a team. Wendell Berry "A Native Hill"

    July 19, 2008