Forms: 1 tíeman, týman, tíman, tǽman, 1–2 teman, 3 timen, tæmenn (Orm.), teamen, tumen(ii), 3–5 temen, 3–6 teme, (4 tem, 5 temyn), 6–7 teeme, 7–8 team, 6– teem. [OE. tíeman, etc.:—*taumjan, f. OE. téam:—*taum: see TEAM sb.]
I. Belonging to TEAM sb. I.
1. trans. To bring forth, produce, give birth to, bear (offspring). Also fig. Obs. or arch.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Hom., I. 238. Hit bið þonne … þæt ‘Nan wer ne wilað, ne wif ne ceorlað, ne team ne bið ʓetymed.’ Ibid., II. 212. Þæt folc tymde micelne team on ðam westene.
c. 1200. Ormin, 2415. Wurrþenn swa wiþþ childe & tæmenn hire tæm wiþþ himm Alls oþre wimmenn tæmenn?
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 220. Two tentacions … þet temeþ alle þe oðre.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 33. & cleopeð ham wunne & weolefulle þat teamen hare teames.
1599. Shaks., Hen. V., V. ii. 51. The euen Meade … Conceiues by idlenesse, and nothing teemes But hatefull Docks, rough Thistles, Keksyes, Burres. Ibid. (1607), Timon, IV. iii. 179. Common Mother, thou Whose wombe vnmeasureable, and infinite brest Teemes and feeds all.
1654. Gayton, Pleas. Notes, III. viii. 126. My Mother,… whose very picture I am, when she teem’d me under the Line.
1667. Milton, P. L., VII. 454. The Earth obey’d, and … teem’d at a Birth Innumerous living Creatures.
1675. Plume, Life Hacket (1865), 8. It was but a small lustre … that the place where any man was teemed could cast upon him.
1786. trans. Swedenborg’s True Chr. Relig., x. § 585. The earth … being their common mother … brings them forth, that is, teems them from her womb into the open day.
† 2. intr. To bring forth young, bear or produce offspring; to be or become pregnant. Obs.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gen. vi. 4. Godes bearn tymdon wið manna dohtra and hiʓ cendon. Ibid. (c. 1000), Hom., I. 250. Fuʓelas ne tymað swa swa oðre nytenu. Ibid., II. 10. Sindon þeah-hwæðere sume ʓesceafta þe tymað buton hæmede…; þæt sind beon.
a. 1023. Wulfstan, Hom., xiii. 81. Wa ðam wifum þe þonne tymað.
c. 1200. Ormin, 130. Forr ȝho wass swa bifundenn wif Þatt ȝho ne mihhte tæmenn.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 308. Fares & Zaram ne temeð heo neuer.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 982. An angel … seide ȝhe sulde sunen wel And timen, and clepen it Ismael.
1532. More, Confut. Tindale, Wks. 644/2. Lest it should feble hys fleshe … and hyndre hys harlot of teming.
1591. Troub. Raigne K. John (1611), 15. Thou saist she teemde sixe weekes before her time.
1604. Shaks., Oth., IV. i. 256.
| If that the Earth could teeme with womans teares, | |
| Each drop she falls, would proue a Crocodile. | |
| Ibid. (1607), Timon, IV. iii. 190. | |
| Goe great with Tygers, Dragons, Wolues, and Beares, | |
| Teeme with new Monsters. |
1636. James, trans. Filix’s Octavius, 91. If there were gods borne, why are not some borne in our dayes, except Iupiter be now waxed old, and Iuno hath left off teeming.
1669. Sturmy, Mariner’s Mag., Author to his Book, 29.
| Prometheus is chain’d fast, and cannot move | |
| To steal a little Fire from mighty Jove, | |
| To People new the World, that we may see | |
| Our Mother teem with a new Progeny. |
3. intr. To be full, as if ready to give birth; to be prolific or fertile; to abound, swarm. Usually const. with.
1593. [see TEEMING ppl. a.1 2].
1699. E. Phillips, Beau’s Acad., Pref. The ingenuity that is contained in this Book, is to much for one single brain to teem with.
1710. Addison, Whig Exam., No. 5, 12 Oct., ¶ 1. We live in a nation where at present there is scarce a single head that does not teem with politicks.
1746. Smollett, Reproof, 28. Hallowed be the mouth That teems with moral zeal and dauntless truth!
1748. Gray, Alliance, 6. The soil, tho’ fertile, will not teem in vain.
1802. Paley, Nat. Theol., xxvi. (1819), 404. The air, the earth, the water, teem with delighted existence.
1838–9. Hallam, Hist. Lit., II. II. v. § 80. 234. Every canto of this book teems with the choicest beauties of imagination.
1840. Dickens, Barn. Rudge, lxxvii. The house-tops teemed with people.
1857. Holland, Bay Path, xxviii. 348. A brain teeming with fancies born equally of the storm without and the storm within.
1868. E. Edwards, Ralegh, I. Introd. 33. A mind which … was still teeming with projects for a good time to come.
II. Belonging to TEAM sb. III.
† 4. trans. In Anglo-Saxon law: To refer or trace (property), for evidence of ownership, to a third person representing the party from whom it was acquired; to vouch to warranty. Only OE.
a. 700. Laws Ine, c. 47. Gif mon forstolenne ceap befehð, ne mot hine mon tieman [v.r. tyman] to ðeowum men. Ibid., c. 75.
a. 800, 960–75. [see TEAM sb. 7].
† 5. intr. To refer or appeal to for confirmation or testimony. To God I teme, I call God to witness. Also trans. To cite or call to witness (quot. c. 1200).
c. 1000. Ælfric, Saints’ Lives (1881), I. 58. Benedictus … tymde to þam reʓole þe Basilius ʓesette.
c. 1000. St. Basil’s Admonitio, Prol. (1849), 32. Benedictus … tymde swa ðeah to Basilies tæcinge for his trumnysse.
c. 1200. Moral Ode, 103 (Trin. MS.). His oȝen werc and his þanc to witnesse he sal temen.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 5070 (Cott.). And al was for i tald a drem Þat cummen es now, to godd i tem. Ibid., 12797. Ibid., 14791. Þe bok is wittnes for to tem.
† 6. intr. To attach oneself (to any one) in fealty, dependence, trust, or love; to turn or draw to. Obs.
c. 1205. Lay., 1265. He bi-heihte hire biheste & he hit wel laste þat to hire he wolde teman [c. 1275 hire wolde he louie] & wrchen hire ane temple. Ibid., 16800. Al hit trukeð us an hond þæt we to temden. Ibid., 24816. Ȝif þu i þissen twælf wiken temest to þan rihten and þu wult of Rome þolien æi dome.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 9546. Al þat euer to Cryst wyf teme, Behoueþ be baptysed yn watyr and creme.
13[?]. St. Erkenwolde, 15, in Horstm., Altengl. Leg. (1881), 266. He turnyd temples þat tyme þat temyd to þe deuelle.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., C. 316. Ȝet surely I hope, Efte to trede on þy temple & teme to þy seluen.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 3306. Tho truly þat are takon and temyn to you, Shalbe plesit with plenty at þere playne wille.
† 7. trans. To acclaim (as lord); to offer or dedicate (to God); to bring into a position or condition.
c. 1205. Lay., 1956. He wes ihaten Brutus … þa Troinisce men þa temden hine to hærre [c. 1275 makede hine louerd].
13[?]. Cursor M., 6170 (Cott.). Þe forbirth o þair barntem Fra þan þai suld to drightin tem.
c. 1384. Chaucer, H. Fame, III. 654. But myghten temen vs opon bere.
† 8. intr. or refl. To betake oneself, to repair, go, proceed to; trans. to repair to (q. c. 1330). Obs.
c. 1205. Lay., 1245. Albion hatte þat lond … Þer to þu scalt teman [c. 1275 wende] & ane neowe Troye þar makian. Ibid., 7174. He hehte Tenancius to Cornwale temen [c. 1275 wende]. Ibid., 27919. Arður ȝæf him þene tun and he þer to tumde [v.r. tumbde].
c. 1320. Sir Tristr., 431. For drede þai wald him slo, He temed him to þe king.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 11177. Fot-folk þat come to & fro, Innes for to teme & take.
† b. intr. To lead to (an issue). Obs.
c. 1205. Lay., 9135. Ic wolde iwite æt þe … to whan þis tocne wule ten, to wulche þinge temnen.
