tablespoonful

American  

[tay-buhl-spoon-fool] / ˈteɪ bəl spunˌfʊl /

noun

• tablespoonfuls
  plural

1. the amount a tablespoon can hold.

2. a volumetric measure equal to ½ fluid ounce (14.8 milliliters), or three teaspoonfuls. T., tbs., tbsp.

---

Spelling

See -ful.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• tablespoonfuls
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tablespoonful

First recorded in 1765–75; tablespoon + -ful

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tablespoonful tablespoonfuls

Spoon in the batter by the tablespoonful, and cook for about 2 minutes until browned and crisp on the bottom.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 27, 2023

On the center of each dough circle, add a heaping tablespoonful of the potato filling.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 8, 2022

It was named the Milk River by the explorer Meriwether Lewis who described it as the “color of a cup of tea with the admixture of a tablespoonful of milk,” the result of suspended sediment.

From New York Times ● Jun. 14, 2020

Take one tablespoonful at a time and roll it into a ball.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 15, 2020

"A tablespoonful six times a day in a wineglass of water."

From The Turnstile by A. E. W. (Alfred Edward Woodley) Mason

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.

From Fox News ● Jan. 23, 2022

Baking a poundcake turns into an opportunity to sneak tablespoonfuls of raw batter and eat thick slices of inexpensive Freedom's Choice brand cream cheese right off the knife.

From Salon ● May 9, 2020

Tip the chickpeas into the empty cauliflower bowl, and add the harissa, tasting it first for heat, to see if you want to use both tablespoonfuls.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 3, 2015

Try pasta puttanesca, usually good for using up a few tablespoonfuls.

From Seattle Times ● May 14, 2014

“Once when I was twenty-four, once when I was fifty-seven. Two tablespoonfuls taken with breakfast. Two perfect days.”

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling