tablespoon

IPA/ˈteɪblspuːn/
KK[tˈebəlspˌun]IPA/ˈteɪblspuːn/

tablespoon — noun

  • tablespoonsingular
  • tablespoonsplural

1. a spoon that is bigger than a regular eating spoon, used for lifting food from a

1.nounB1
Definition

a spoon that is bigger than a regular eating spoon, used for lifting food from a shared dish and putting it onto individual plates or bowls.

Example

Beatriz used a large tablespoon to serve the creamy potato soup.

collocation: large tablespoon / serving tablespoon

The silver tablespoon on the dining table has a beautiful flower pattern on its handle.

descriptive: noun phrase with size + material + location

Common collocations
  • silver tablespoon
  • wooden tablespoon
  • serving tablespoon
  • clean tablespoon
Synonyms
  • serving spoon

    any large spoon used for serving, not necessarily a standardised size

  • soup ladle

    a deep, bowl-shaped spoon for liquids, much larger than a tablespoon

Antonyms
  • teaspoon

    a much smaller spoon, about one-third the size of a tablespoon

Grammar Patterns

a [number] tablespoon of [food]

Usage Note

In a standard set of cutlery, a tablespoon is larger than a dessert spoon and much larger than a teaspoon. It is normally placed next to serving dishes rather than at each person's seat.

2. a standard unit of volume used in cooking, equal to 15 millilitres (about half a

2.nounB1
Definition

a standard unit of volume used in cooking, equal to 15 millilitres (about half a fluid ounce), or the amount of food that fits into a tablespoon when filled to the top.

Example

Add one tablespoon of lemon juice and stir the mixture for thirty seconds.

[number] tablespoon of [ingredient] for instructions

Hannah measured two level tablespoons of butter for the cookie recipe.

collocation: level tablespoon / heaped tablespoon

Common collocations
  • level tablespoon
  • heaped tablespoon
  • rounded tablespoon
  • generous tablespoon
Synonyms
  • tablespoonful

    less common in everyday speech; means the same as tablespoon

  • 15 ml measure

    descriptive rather than a true synonym; used when precision is needed

Antonyms
  • teaspoon

    a smaller cooking measure equal to 5 ml (one-third of a tablespoon)

Grammar Patterns

[number] tablespoon(s) of [ingredient]

Usage Note

In written recipes, tablespoon is often shortened to tbsp or T. A level tablespoon is the standard measure; a heaped (or rounded) tablespoon contains roughly one and a half times as much.

Common Mistakes

Add a tablespoon of salt to the soup.
Add a teaspoon of salt to the soup.
A tablespoon (15 ml) is a very large amount of salt for most dishes; cooks often confuse the two spoon sizes.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A tablespoon is a standard-sized large spoon found in most Western cutlery sets, used both at the table for serving and in recipes as a measurement. A serving spoon is a more general term for any large spoon used during meals — it can be slightly different in shape and does not have a fixed volume. A soup ladle is deep and bowl-shaped, designed specifically for liquid dishes such as soups or stews, and holds much more than a tablespoon. A teaspoon, by contrast, is roughly one-third the size of a tablespoon and is used for stirring drinks or measuring small quantities. For example: 'Beatriz used a silver tablespoon to serve the rice, then took a soup ladle to pour the broth.'

tablespoon ↗serving spoonsoup ladleteaspoon ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • by the tablespoon
  • tablespoon of sugar
  • tablespoon of oil

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishLatinEnglish

Tablespoon is a compound word formed from 'table' (from Old English tabele, via Latin tabula meaning 'a flat board or slab') and 'spoon' (from Old English spon, meaning 'a chip or splinter of wood'). The word first appeared in the 1700s, when larger spoons began to be made specifically for serving food at the dining table, distinct from the smaller spoons people used for eating or drinking.