English Reference
Noun

spoonful

n.
B1 Intermediate US /ˈspunˌfʊɫ/ UK /spˈuːnfəl/ spoon·ful UK spelling spoonfuls

n.the amount of liquid or soft food that fits into a spoon. You use this word when you are measuring or serving small amounts of something.

n.the quantity of a liquid or soft substance that fills a spoon. Often used in the phrase 'a spoonful of sugar' to describe a small addition to a larger quantity.


SIMPLE

I added a spoonful of honey to my tea.

CONTEXTUAL

The recipe calls for a spoonful of salt to bring out the flavor of the vegetables.

COMPLEX

While the recipe suggests a single spoonful of vinegar, the chef found that a slightly larger amount was necessary to balance the sweetness of the glaze.


From Middle English sponeful, sponefull, sponful, spone-ful, equivalent to spoon + -ful.

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

This entry
Origin Middle English sponeful
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated