team
team
UK[tiːm]US[tiːm]
n
A group of players forming one side in a competitive game or sport.
n
A group of people who work together on a particular activity or task.
v
To come together as a team to achieve something.
Etymology
The word 'team' originates from the Old English 'tēam', which referred to a family, lineage, or, more literally, the offspring or descendants of a family. This Old English term is derived from the Proto-Germanic 'taumaz', meaning 'that which pulls or draws', a concept rooted in the Proto-Indo-European base 'deuk-', meaning 'to lead'. The semantic journey from 'offspring' or 'line' to a group working together is logical, as both concepts involve a connected set of individuals. By the 16th century, the meaning had evolved to denote a group of animals harnessed together to pull a load, which directly informs the modern sense of a coordinated group of people united for a common purpose.
Analysis
The word 'team' is a simplex word of Old English origin. It does not contain separable, meaningful morphemes in its modern English spelling.
Examples
She plays for the national hockey team.
A team of researchers made the discovery.
We need to team up to finish this project on time.