Teamwork vs. Team Work

Team:  A group of players forming one side in a competitive game or sport
Work:  Activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result

Teamwork:  The combined action of a group of people, especially when effective or efficient.

Funny, isn't it?  Team and work at two separate words, but if you put them together it's teamwork.  And the meaning is somewhat different too, when you put them together, than when they are two separate words.

Team Work:  A group of players forming one side in a competitive game or sport doing an activity involving mental or physical effort in order to achieve a purpose or result.

Another thing we can draw from teamwork being one word is this:  choirs are always told they are to sound like one voice rather than many different voices.  True teamwork does not appear as many people doing many different things.  It appears to be one single operation with several parts.

I've always thought when you're on a team, you do your part and let others do theirs, but truly, teamwork does not work that way.  When you are truly a team, you reach out to help others when they need things more than you do.  While you are checking to see what needs to be done to keep your part running smoothly, you find out if anyone needs something more than you do.  Likewise, when you need help on a team and no one has noticed, you ask for it.  You ought not worry about "troubling others."  The point of a team is for everyone to work together in order to get something to run smoothly.

Team work is working as a group with the same goal in mind without anyone assisting anyone else.
Teamwork is a group who is supportive of each other as they strive to reach a goal.