spoon

spoon — noun

1. a kitchen tool with a long handle and a small rounded hollow end, used to lift,

1.nounA1
Definition

a kitchen tool with a long handle and a small rounded hollow end, used to lift, stir, eat, or serve food

Example

Piotr stirred the soup with a long metal spoon before serving it.

stir + with a spoon

Yan placed a spoon next to each bowl for the dessert course.

Common collocations
  • silver spoon
  • wooden spoon
  • metal spoon
  • plastic spoon
  • soup spoon
  • serving spoon
  • dessert spoon
  • table spoon
Synonyms
  • utensil

    a broader term that includes spoons, forks, knives, and other kitchen tools

  • cutlery

    the collective word for knives, forks, and spoons used at the table

Grammar Patterns

a/the spoon

spoons (plural)

Usage Note

Often used with adjectives describing the material (silver, wooden, plastic) or the function (soup, serving, dessert).

Common Mistakes

Can you pass me the spoon for the sugar?' (unclear which spoon).
Can you pass me the sugar spoon?
English often uses a compound noun to specify the type of spoon for a particular purpose.

2. used as part of a compound word to name a specific type or size of spoon, such a

2.nounB1
Definition

used as part of a compound word to name a specific type or size of spoon, such as a teaspoon, tablespoon, or soupspoon

Example

Indra added a teaspoon of sugar to her morning coffee.

teaspoon of [ingredient]

The recipe calls for two tablespoons of olive oil.

tablespoons of [ingredient]

Common collocations
  • teaspoon
  • tablespoon
  • soupspoon
  • dessertspoon

Grammar Patterns

[word] + spoon

Usage Note

The combining form usually appears as the second element in a compound noun. The first part tells you the size, purpose, or type of spoon. Many of these compounds, such as 'teaspoon' and 'tablespoon', are also used as standard units of measurement in recipes.

3. the amount of food, liquid, or other substance that fills a particular spoon, us

3.nounA2
Definition

the amount of food, liquid, or other substance that fills a particular spoon, used as a casual measurement in cooking, medicine, or daily life

Example

Sofia took another spoon of honey for her tea.

spoon of [substance]

The doctor said to take two spoons of medicine after dinner.

Common collocations
  • spoon of sugar
  • spoon of medicine
  • spoon of honey
  • spoon of rice
  • spoon of flour
Synonyms
  • spoonful

    the more formal equivalent; e.g., 'a spoonful of sugar' versus 'a spoon of sugar'

Grammar Patterns

spoon + of + noun

Usage Note

Used informally instead of the more formal 'spoonful'. Typically followed by 'of' and the substance being measured. Common in everyday cooking, medicine instructions, and casual conversation.

Common Mistakes

Add one spoon sugar
Add one spoon of sugar.
When 'spoon' is used as a measure, it requires the preposition 'of' before the substance.
Idioms

born with a silver spoon in your mouth

idiom

Born into a wealthy family with many advantages.

Maya was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and never worried about money.

Although born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Diego worked hard for his success.

spoon — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Spoon, fork, and knife are the three basic eating tools that appear together at most meals. A spoon has a rounded hollow end and is used for soup, rice, soft foods, and stirring. A fork has pointed tines (prongs) and is used to pick up solid foods like meat or salad. A knife has a sharp edge and is used for cutting or spreading. The broader word utensil covers spoons, forks, knives, and also kitchen tools like spatulas and tongs. Cutlery is a collective term that means knives, forks, and spoons taken as a set — for example, 'Please set the table with the cutlery.' When learners talk about eating, they most often need the specific word spoon rather than the general terms: 'I need a spoon for my soup' sounds natural, while 'I need a utensil for my soup' sounds oddly formal.

spoon ↗fork ↗knife ↗utensilcutlery ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • spoon out
  • spoon up
  • spoon over

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

The word 'spoon' comes from Old English 'spōn', which originally meant a thin piece of wood or a splinter. Before metal spoons were common, people carved spoons from wood, so the name for a wooden chip came to describe the eating tool itself. The word is related to Old Norse 'spánn' and German 'Span' (meaning a chip or shaving of wood).