tablespoon

American  

[tey-buhl-spoon] / ˈteɪ bəlˌspun /

noun

1. a spoon larger than a teaspoon or a dessert spoon, used in serving food at the table and as a standard measuring unit in recipes.

2. a tablespoonful.

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tablespoon British  

/ ˈteɪbəlˌspuːn /

noun

1. a spoon, larger than a dessertspoon, used for serving food, etc

2. Also called: tablespoonful.  the amount contained in such a spoon

3. a unit of capacity used in cooking, medicine, etc, equal to half a fluid ounce or three teaspoons

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Etymology

Origin of tablespoon

First recorded in 1755–65; table + spoon

Compare meaning

How does tablespoon compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• teaspoon vs. tablespoon

Example Sentences

It’s no wonder the experience can feel oddly flat or stop-start, punctuated by small panics over whether it was two teaspoons or two tablespoons of red pepper flakes.

From Salon

Lieu recommends using one tablespoon of soy sauce per cup of flour.

From Salon

Every year there is the faintly absurd recipe of a dollop of briefing, several tablespoons of speculation and a sprinkling of leaks.

From BBC

There’s just a single tablespoon of sugar, enough to let the butter taste like itself.

From Salon

I like to rub mine with around four tablespoons of five spice powder, ¼ cup of brown sugar, one tablespoon each of ginger, garlic, and kosher salt, and enough olive oil to make a paste.

From Salon