What does tee mean?
Tee is a compact word with several firmly established uses. In golf, it names the small peg on which a ball is placed before the opening stroke, and it can also refer to the marked starting area. As a verb, tee means to put a ball on this support, while tee off can mean beginning a round of golf or, more figuratively, starting an activity. Tee also forms part of the name for a simple short-sleeved shirt, especially in North American English, where tee shirt or just tee is common. The word ultimately comes from the letter T, because a golf tee resembles that letter and a tee shirt was named for the letter printed across its chest. Its usefulness lies in this combination of literal and figurative senses: a tee is both a familiar object and a way of describing the start of something.
A small peg used to support a golf ball before it is struck; also a T-shaped support or marker. In North American English, tee can also mean a short-sleeved T-shirt.
"He lifted the ball carefully from the tee."
The clothing sense is especially common in North American English, where tee shirt is also widely used.
To place a golf ball on a tee, or to begin a round or another activity.
"The teams teed off just after sunrise."
The broader meaning of beginning an undertaking is informal and often appears in the expression tee off.
The plural is used for multiple golf tees or multiple short-sleeved shirts.
"The golfer collected the tees after the round."
From the letter T to the golf tee: one small shape has given English a word for both a peg and a shirt.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tee come from?
The word tee is a phonetic representation of the letter T, whose name comes ultimately from the Greek letter tau. Its golf sense developed from the T-shaped peg used to support the ball, while the clothing sense refers to the letter printed on the front of the garment. The verb senses arose from putting a ball on a tee and beginning a round, with tee off later acquiring the broader meaning of starting an undertaking.
Related word forms
How tee is actually used
The clothing sense is especially common in North American English; British speakers more often say T-shirt. In golf, tee is standard technical terminology. The phrase tee off can mean either beginning a round of golf or informally starting a broader activity, and the broader use is often somewhat informal.
Easily confused with tee
Tee is spelled with a final e and may mean a golf peg, a shirt, or a verb, whereas tea is the beverage made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis.