What does "spoon" mean?

1. (eating utensil) a tool with a handle and a small, shallow bowl used for eating, stirring, or serving food. 2. (fishing lure) a piece of metal used as bait that looks like the head of a spoon. 3. (grenade handle) the safety handle on a hand grenade. 4. (unit of energy) a way to describe how much mental or physical energy you have for the day. 5. (to serve food) to move or serve food using a spoon. 6. (to lie close together) to lie down close together, with one person's back against the other person's front.

spoon — meaning, definition & examples

Word

01eating utensil

A2 · Elementary Countable noun Cooking

n. a tool with a handle and a small, shallow bowl used for eating, stirring, or serving food.

n. a utensil consisting of a small, shallow bowl with a handle, used primarily for eating liquid or semi-solid foods and for stirring.

“She used a silver spoon to eat her soup while it was still hot.”

“The set included several serving spoons, each designed with a deep bowl to accommodate large portions of stew or rice.”

Synonyms

utensilscoop

02fishing lure

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Sports Technical

n. a piece of metal used as bait that looks like the head of a spoon.

n. a type of metallic fishing lure shaped like the bowl of a spoon, designed to flash and vibrate in the water to attract fish.

“He attached a shiny silver spoon to his line to catch some trout.”

“The angler selected a heavy brass spoon to ensure the lure would sink deep enough to reach the predatory fish lurking near the lake bed.”

Synonyms

lure bait

03grenade handle

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Science American English · Technical

n. the safety handle on a hand grenade.

n. the safety lever on a hand grenade which, when released, initiates the fuse mechanism.

“The soldier held the spoon down firmly before throwing the grenade.”

“Once the safety pin is pulled, the spring-loaded spoon flies off, allowing the striker to ignite the chemical delay element.”

Synonyms

lever handle

04unit of energy

C1 · Advanced Plural noun Informal · Slang

n. a way to describe how much mental or physical energy you have for the day.

n. a metaphorical unit of finite mental or physical energy, used particularly by people with chronic illnesses to manage daily tasks.

“I don't have enough spoons left today to go to the grocery store.”

“The 'spoon theory' provides a useful framework for those with invisible disabilities to communicate their fluctuating capacity for social interaction.”

Teaching tip

This is a very specific modern metaphor used within the disability community; outside of this context, it may not be understood.

Synonyms

energy capacity

05to serve food

B1 · Intermediate Cooking

v. to move or serve food using a spoon.

v. to transfer, serve, or move a substance using a spoon; often used with 'out' or 'into'.

“He carefully spooned the sauce over the vegetables.”

“The chef spooned the delicate reduction onto the plate, ensuring the presentation remained clean and professional.”

Synonyms

scoop ladle

06to lie close together

B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal

v. to lie down close together, with one person's back against the other person's front.

v. to lie nestled close together, typically in bed, with both parties facing the same direction so their bodies fit together like stacked spoons.

“The couple liked to spoon while watching movies on the sofa.”

“After a long day of hiking, they spent the night spooning in their shared sleeping bag to stay warm.”

Usage

This verb can be used both transitively and intransitively.

Synonyms

cuddle snuggle

From Middle English spoon, spoune, spone, spon (“spoon, chip of wood”), from Old English spōn (“sliver, chip of wood, shaving”), from Proto-West Germanic spānu, from Proto-Germanic spēnuz (“chip, flake, shaving”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peH- (“chip, shaving, log, length of wood”). Cognate with Scots spun, spon (“spoon, shingle”), West Frisian spoen (“chip”), Dutch spaan (“chip, flinders”), German Span (“chip, flake, shaving”), Swedish spån (“chip, flake”), Norwegian Nynorsk spon (“chip, spoon”), Faroese spónur (“wood chip; spoon”), Ancient Greek σφήν (sphḗn, “wedge”)(though the connection to the Greek is likely impossible by modern reconstructions of PIE). Eclipsed non-native Middle English cuculer, coclear (“spoon”), from Old English cuculer, cuceler, cucler, borrowed from Latin cochlear (“spoon”). The "metaphoric unit of personal energy" sense was coined by writer and disability advocate Christine Miserandino in 2003 (see spoon theory).

Uncertain. Compare spoom.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

NOUN

spoon(A2)

spoonful(B1)

cutlery fork silverware