noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈteɪbəlˌspuːn/
Received-Pronunciation:[-bɫ̩-]
General-American:/ˈteɪbəlˌspun/
General-American:[-bɫ̩-]
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:T EY1 B AH0 L S P UW2 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A large spoon, used for eating food from a bowl.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Canada, US
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: dessertspoon, dessert spoon
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A spoon too large for eating, usually used for cooking or serving.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Australia, New-Zealand, Northern-UK
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A unit of volume, the value of which varies regionally; in the US: three teaspoons or one half fluid ounce or roughly 15 ml; in Britain and Canada: exactly 15 ml; in Russia 18 ml; in Australia: four teaspoons or 20 ml.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: cooking, food, lifestyle
Examples
1995 May 22, Salad Recipes, New York, page 51, Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a nonstick skillet until hot and quickly saute the goat-cheese buttons on both sides until brown.
2006, Tempted: 150 Very Wicked Desserts, Murdoch Books, UK, copyright page, If you are using a 15 ml (3 teaspoon) tablespoon, for most recipes the difference will not be noticeable.
2012, James Armstrong, Kellee Hollyman, General, Organic, and Biochemistry: An Applied Approach, Cengage Learning, US, page 27, The problem gives us a number of tablespoons of cooking oil and asks us to convert this amount into milliliters. We are also told that one tablespoon equals 3 teaspoons, but this is a relationship between two units, not an actual measurement.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: tablespoonful, tbsp, tbs, f℥ss, f℥ß
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a spoon larger than a dessert spoon; used for serving
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: spoon
5
noun
Meaning 5
as much as a tablespoon will hold
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: tablespoonful
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: containerful
History
Etymology
From table + spoon.
Across languages
Translations
96 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
супена лъжица
(supena lǎžica)
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Catalan:
cullera de sopa
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Chinese Cantonese:
湯匙 /汤匙
(tong1 ci4)
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Chinese Cantonese:
湯羹 /汤羹
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Chinese Mandarin:
大湯匙 /大汤匙
(dà tāngchí)
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Chinese Mandarin:
湯匙 /汤匙
(tāngchí)
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Czech:
lžíce
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Czech:
polévková lžíce
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Danish:
spiseske
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Dutch:
eetlepel
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Dutch:
soeplepel
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Esperanto:
supkulero
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Finnish:
ruokalusikka
— a large spoon, used for eating food
French:
cuillère à soupe
— a large spoon, used for eating food
French:
grande cuillère
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Georgian:
სუფრის კოვზი
(supris ḳovzi)
— a large spoon, used for eating food
German:
Esslöffel
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Greek:
κουτάλι
(koutáli)
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Greek:
κουτάλι σούπας
(koutáli soúpas)
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Hebrew:
כַּף
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Hungarian:
evőkanál
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Icelandic:
matskeið
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Ingrian:
söökkilusikka
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Irish:
spúnóg mhór
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Italian:
cucchiaio da tavola
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Japanese:
さじ
(saji)
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Japanese:
スプーン
(supūn)
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Japanese:
テーブルスプーン
(tēburusupūn)
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Korean:
테이블스푼
(teibeulseupun)
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Lithuanian:
valgomasis šaukštas
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Luxembourgish:
Iessläffel
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Manx:
spein buird
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Marathi:
मोठा चमचा
(moṭhā camcā)
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Norwegian:
suppeskje
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Plautdietsch:
Ätläpel
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Polish:
łyżka
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Polish:
łyżka stołowa
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Portuguese:
colher
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Portuguese:
colher de sopa
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Russian:
столо́вая ло́жка
(stolóvaja lóžka)
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Russian:
ло́жка
(lóžka)
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Russian:
супова́я ло́жка
(supovája lóžka)
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Scottish Gaelic:
spàin-bhùird
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Serbo-Croatian:
ка̀шика
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Serbo-Croatian:
жли̏ца
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Serbo-Croatian:
лижка
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Serbo-Croatian:
kàšika
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Serbo-Croatian:
žlȉca
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Serbo-Croatian:
ližka
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Slovak:
lyžica
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Spanish:
cuchara de sopa
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Spanish:
cuchara
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Turkish:
yemek kaşığı
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Ukrainian:
столо́ва ло́жка
(stolóva lóžka)
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Vietnamese:
muỗng canh
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Volapük:
fidaspun
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Waray-Waray:
kutsara
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Welsh:
llwy fwrdd
— a large spoon, used for eating food
Danish:
grydeske
— Australia: a spoon for cooking
Finnish:
keittolusikka
— Australia: a spoon for cooking
French:
louche
— Australia: a spoon for cooking
French:
cuiller à pot
— Australia: a spoon for cooking
German:
Kochlöffel
— Australia: a spoon for cooking
Greek:
κουτάλα
(koutála)
— Australia: a spoon for cooking
Māori:
pune nui
— Australia: a spoon for cooking
Bulgarian:
супена лъжица
(supena lǎžica)
— a unit of measure
Catalan:
cullerada
— a unit of measure
Czech:
polévková lžíce
— a unit of measure
Czech:
lžíce
— a unit of measure
Danish:
spiseske
— a unit of measure
Danish:
spiseskefuld
— a unit of measure
Dutch:
eetlepel
— a unit of measure
Esperanto:
supkulero
— a unit of measure
Finnish:
ruokalusikallinen
— a unit of measure
Finnish:
ruokalusikka
— a unit of measure
French:
cuillère à soupe
— a unit of measure
German:
Esslöffel
— a unit of measure
Greek:
κουταλιά
(koutaliá)
— a unit of measure
Greek:
κουταλιά της σούπας
(koutaliá tis soúpas)
— a unit of measure
Gujarati:
ચમચો
(camco)
— a unit of measure
Icelandic:
matskeið
— a unit of measure
Italian:
cucchiaiata
— a unit of measure
Japanese:
大さじ
(ōsaji)
— a unit of measure
Korean:
큰술
(keunsul)
— a unit of measure
Ladino:
kucharika
— a unit of measure
Polish:
łyżka
— a unit of measure
Polish:
łyżka stołowa
— a unit of measure
Portuguese:
colher de sopa
— a unit of measure
Romanian:
lingură
— a unit of measure
Russian:
столо́вая ло́жка
(stolóvaja lóžka)
— a unit of measure