teaspoon

American  

[tee-spoon] / ˈtiˌspun /

noun

• teaspoons
  plural

1. a small spoon generally used to stir tea, coffee, etc.

2. a teaspoonful.

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teaspoon British  

/ ˈtiːˌspuːn /

noun

1. a small spoon used for stirring tea, eating certain desserts, etc

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

3. a unit of capacity used in cooking, medicine, etc, equal to about one fluid dram

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• teaspoons
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of teaspoon

First recorded in 1680–90; tea + spoon

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Compare meaning

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

• teaspoon vs. tablespoon

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Explanation

In cooking, a teaspoon is a small unit of measurement, as well as the name of the utensil you use to measure it. If you like your tea slightly sweet, you might add just a teaspoon of sugar to it. You can also call a small spoon used for stirring coffee or tea a teaspoon. When you're making a recipe, it's good to know that a teaspoon is equal to one-third of a tablespoon, or five milliliters. The word teaspoon dates from the 1680s.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

teaspoon teaspoons

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

At home, I keep it rustic and dollop generous mounds of meringue onto lined baking trays, then use the back of a teaspoon to shape them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026

The researchers worked with a small amount of Bennu material, about the size of a teaspoon.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 12, 2026

The most important thing you can do when choosing a sunscreen, she says, is actually wear enough of it – a full teaspoon at least for each part of your body, face included.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2025

Laleh always took her tea with three cubes of sugar and one cube of ice, and she always clanged the teaspoon against the sides of her glass teacup as she stirred.

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram

Add 1 ½ teaspoons Cajun seasoning and both paprikas to the sausage fat.

From Salon ● Apr. 7, 2026

The new pyramid says that one meal should contain no more than 10 grams of added sugars, or about 2 teaspoons.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 7, 2026

If they are over a year old, you can give them two teaspoons of honey up to six times, but do not delay going to the hospital to get honey.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 29, 2024

The most popular flavour of Cerelac in the Philippines has about 17.5g of total sugars per serving – more than four teaspoons of sugar - but that can include both naturally occurring and added sugars.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2024

Like how many teaspoons of sugar went into a glass of iced tea.

From "The Devil's Arithmetic" by Jane Yolen

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