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spoonful

American  
[spoon-fool] / ˈspun fʊl /

noun

plural

spoonfuls

  1. as much as a spoon can hold.

  2. a small quantity.

spoonful British  
/ ˈspuːnˌfʊl /

noun

  1. the amount that a spoon is able to hold

  2. a small quantity

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Spelling

See -ful.

Other Word Forms

  • half-spoonful adjective

Etymology

Origin of spoonful

First recorded in 1250–1300, spoonful is from the Middle English word sponeful. See spoon, -ful

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A spoonful of miso melts into the broth, followed by a pour of coconut cream.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

A spoonful stirred into chicken salad for something creamier without the weight.

From Salon • Mar. 25, 2026

But somebody in my party would always have something spicy and I can have a spoonful to add to mine.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

Start with what asks the least of you: a spoonful, a sip, a slice, a bite.

From Salon • Jan. 29, 2026

When Pasta-palooza was just the five of them, and everyone knew the rules for playing trivia, and Axel got the first big spoonful of the elbows with butter, and Byrd called him her buttervore.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers

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.