Definition of teem

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teem¹    (tm) KEY 

VERB:
teemed, teem·ing, teems
VERB:
intr.

1. To be full of things; abound or swarm: A drop of water teems with microorganisms.
2. Obsolete To be or become pregnant; bear young.

VERB:
tr.
Archaic

To give birth to.

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ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English temen, to beget, bear, from Old English teman, tman; see deuk- in Indo-European roots

OTHER FORMS:
teemer(Noun), teeming·ly(Adverb)

SYNONYMS:
teem¹, abound, crawl¹, overflow, swarm¹

These verbs mean to be abundantly filled or richly supplied: The street teemed with pedestrians. The garden abounds with flowers. The sidewalk was crawling with vendors. The house overflowed with guests. The parade route swarmed with spectators.