tablespoonful

IPA/ˈteɪ.bəlˌspuːn.fʊl/
IPA/ˈteɪ.bəlˌspuːn.fʊl/

tablespoonful — noun

  • tablespoonfulsingular
  • tablespoonfulsplural

1. A unit of volume used in cooking and medicine, equal to about 15 millilitres — t

1.nounB1
Definition

A unit of volume used in cooking and medicine, equal to about 15 millilitres — the amount that fills a large spoon of that size.

Example

Add one tablespoonful of olive oil to the frying pan and heat it up.

pattern: a tablespoonful of + ingredient

The recipe calls for two tablespoonfuls of honey and a pinch of salt.

plural form: tablespoonfuls

Common collocations
  • a tablespoonful of [ingredient]
  • a heaped tablespoonful
  • a generous tablespoonful
  • a level tablespoonful
  • measure a tablespoonful
  • add a tablespoonful
  • contain a tablespoonful
  • take a tablespoonful (of medicine)
Synonyms
  • tablespoon

    In recipes, 'tablespoon' often replaces 'tablespoonful' as shorthand (e.g. '1 tbsp'), but 'tablespoon' can also refer to the utensil itself.

Antonyms
  • teaspoonful

    A smaller unit of volume (about 5 ml), one-third of a tablespoonful.

Grammar Patterns

a tablespoonful of + [ingredient/medicine]

Usage Note

Also commonly written as 'tablespoon' in recipes (e.g. '1 tbsp sugar'). The plural form can be either 'tablespoonfuls' or 'tablespoonsful', though 'tablespoonfuls' is far more common.

Common Mistakes

Add a tablespoonful of salt to the soup.' (when the spoon itself is meant).
Add a tablespoonful of salt to the soup.' is correct when referring to the amount; for the utensil, use 'a tablespoon' instead.
The recipe needs a tablespoonful of baking soda.' (confusing with teaspoonful).
The recipe needs a teaspoonful of baking soda.
A tablespoonful is about 15 ml; a teaspoonful is only about 5 ml.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to units of volume used in cooking, but they differ in size and specificity. A 'tablespoonful' (15 ml) is exactly the amount that fills a tablespoon. In recipes, people often write 'tablespoon' or 'tbsp' as shorthand for the same quantity — but 'tablespoon' can also mean the utensil itself. A 'teaspoonful' (5 ml) is three times smaller, while 'teaspoon' is its utensil. For example: 'Add a tablespoonful of oil' focuses on the precise amount, while 'Add a tablespoon of oil' is more casual kitchen shorthand.

tablespoonful ↗tablespoon ↗teaspoonful ↗teaspoon ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • a tablespoonful of
  • half a tablespoonful of
  • one tablespoonful per

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed by combining 'tablespoon' (which itself comes from 'table' — the piece of furniture for eating — and 'spoon', an Old English word for a utensil) with the suffix '-ful', which turns a container into a measure of what it holds. The word has been used in English cookbooks since the early 1700s.

First known use

1755

1755, in the meaning defined at sense 1