ENGLISH
REFERENCE

team

n. countable
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈtim// UK //tˈiːm// team Academic Archaic General-service Informal

n. a group of people who work together to do a job or play a sport. You use this when everyone has the same goal.

n. a group of individuals associated in a joint action or effort. Often used to describe a side in a competitive sport or a collaborative unit within a professional organisation.


SIMPLE

Our team wins the game every Saturday.

CONTEXTUAL

The legal team spent the entire weekend preparing the documents for the upcoming trial.

COMPLEX

Effective leadership within a corporate team requires balancing individual ambitions with the collective objectives of the department to ensure long-term project success.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English tem, teem, teme, from Old English tēam (“child-bearing, offspring, brood, set of draught animals”), from Proto-West Germanic taum, from Proto-Germanic taumaz (“that which draws or pulls”), from Proto-Germanic taugijaną, tugōną, teuhōną, teuhaną (“to lead, bring, pull, draw”), from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to pull, lead”). Cognate with Scots team, teem (“a chain, harness”), Saterland Frisian Toom (“bridle; breeding”), West Frisian team (“bridle, team”), Dutch toom (“bridle, reins, flock of birds”), German Low German Toom (“bridle”), German Zaum (“bridle”), Norwegian tømme (“bridle, rein”), Swedish töm (“leash, rein”). More at teem, tie, tow.

Usage

In British English, it can take either a singular or plural verb ('the team is' or 'the team are'); in American English, it almost always takes a singular verb.

Idioms4 entries

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