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spoon theory

American  
[spoon thee-uh-ree, theer-ee] / ˈspun ˌθi ə ri, ˌθɪər i /

noun

  1. (sometimes initial capital letters) a metaphor to explain how a person with a disability or chronic disease must manage energy expenditures, calculate effort, and conserve resources to accomplish activities of daily living.

Etymology

Origin of spoon theory

Coined by Christine Miserandino (born 1978), U.S. blogger and author, in her essay “The Spoon Theory” (2003)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.