tablespoon

American  

[tay-buhl-spoon] / ˈteɪ bəlˌspun /

noun

• tablespoons
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• tablespoons
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of tablespoon

First recorded in 1755–65; table + spoon

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Compare meaning

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

• teaspoon vs. tablespoon

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Explanation

A tablespoon is a unit of measurement in cooking, and it's also the name of the utensil you use to measure this amount. If you love spicy foods, you might pour a couple of tablespoons of Tabasco sauce on your scrambled eggs. You can also call a serving spoon a tablespoon, and this is the word's original meaning, from "spoon for table service," first used around 1760. In some places, a large spoon used for eating is more likely to be called a tablespoon, while other people use the word specifically to mean a measuring spoon that holds an amount equal to three teaspoons, or 1/2 a fluid ounce.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tablespoon tablespoons

Add one tablespoon of herbs to about 8 to 12 ounces of hot water.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

If you must, limit it to a tablespoon or two, no more.

From Salon ● Apr. 14, 2025

Remove from heat and let cool slightly before spooning over your cake, just a tablespoon at a time, smoothing with the back of a spoon.

From Salon ● Apr. 3, 2025

Like all MOFs, the material features a porous, crystalline array of metal ions and organic linkers, with an internal area equivalent to about six football fields per tablespoon -- a huge area for adsorbing gases.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 14, 2024

Then, he traded a tablespoon of honey to sweeten the tea he had just sold for another morsel of bread and cheese, which he gave to me.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

To make, simply whisk together a cup of cold cream with two tablespoons of cocoa powder, two tablespoons of sugar and a teaspoon of ground cardamom until everything is incorporated and stiff peaks form.

From Salon ● May 10, 2026

To make, simply grind a few tablespoons of chia seeds and mix them with water to form a sort of “glue” that holds the crackers together.

From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2026

Simple ways to get that in include eating a little over a cup of raspberries, 2 tablespoons of chia seeds, or two-thirds cup of black beans.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 25, 2026

As long as oranges are in season, take advantage of their perky perfume by stirring a few tablespoons of zest into the mix.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 8, 2026

Put two tablespoons of oats in the water, not three!”

From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer

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