[f. TEEM v.1 + -ING2.]
1. That bears or breeds offspring; pregnant, gravid, ‘breeding.’ arch. and dial.
1535. Goodly Primer, Litany. That teeming women may have joyful speed in their labour.
1593. Drayton, Eclogues, x. 46. Their teeming Eawes to helpe when they did yeane.
1676. Grew, Anat. Flowers, II. i. § 3. As Teeming Women, gradually slaken their Laces.
a. 1719. Addison, trans. Ovid, Calisto, 99. A lovely boy the teeming rival bore.
1822. Scott, Pirate, iv. Mrs. Yellowley had a remarkable dream, as is the usual practice of teeming mothers previous to the birth of an illustrious offspring.
† b. Fructifying; germinating, sprouting. Obs.
1704. Pope, Windsor For., 53. Kind seasons swell’d the teeming grain.
1835. Ure, Phil. Manuf., 231. The teeming seed is now covered with a sheet of paper pierced with holes.
2. Abundantly productive; fertile, prolific.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., II. i. 51. This blessed plot, this earth, this Realme, this England, This Nurse, this teeming wombe of Royall Kings. Ibid. (c. 1600), Sonn., xcvii. The teeming Autumne big with ritch increase.
1768. Beattie, Minstr., II. l. Where Nature loads the teeming plain With the full pomp of vegetable store.
1840. Dickens, Barn. Rudge, xl. The plan … which had suggested itself to the teeming brain of his … commander.
b. transf. Abounding: swarming; crowded.
1715. Pattern True Love, in Halliw., Yorks. Anthol. (1851), 13. Odd tales which heretofore Did so amuse the teeming throng.
1725. Pope, Odyss., IV. 240. With teeming plenty to reward their toil.
1838. Prescott, Ferd. & Is. (1846), II. ix. 464. The teeming treasures of the Indies.
1869. Tozer, Highl. Turkey, II. 202. The teeming multitudes which must have crowded the cities.
a. 1873. Deutsch, Rem. (1874), 136. It shews us the teeming streets of Jerusalem.
Hence Teemingly adv., productively; Teemingness, productiveness, fecundity.
1651. trans. Malvezzi’s Stoa Triumphans, 65. Make them teemingly fertile with their amorous embraces.
1674. N. Fairfax, Bulk & Selv., 120. The hand giving a kind of teemingness to the spring.
1804. in W. Coleman, A. Hamilton, 171. No man was more teemingly filled with that enthusiasm which distinguished the Roman breast, and animated the heroes of that republic to the performance and achievements which we contemplate at this day with astonishment, doubt, and admiration.
1895. Clarion, 2 Nov., 1/4. Our cause spreads teemingly.
