English Reference
Noun

tablespoon

n. countable
B1 Intermediate US /ˈteɪbəɫˌspun/ UK /tˈeɪbəlspˌuːn/ ta·ble·spoon UK spelling tablespoon's, tablespoon's Cooking

n.a large spoon used for serving food or for measuring ingredients when you cook. It is bigger than a teaspoon.

n.a large spoon used for serving food or as a unit of measurement in culinary contexts. In cooking, it typically represents a volume of 15 millilitres.


SIMPLE

Add one tablespoon of sugar to the mixture.

CONTEXTUAL

The recipe calls for a tablespoon of olive oil to be heated in the pan before adding the onions.

COMPLEX

While a standard tablespoon in the United States holds exactly half a fluid ounce, historical sets may vary slightly in volume depending on their country of origin.

Usage

Often abbreviated as 'tbsp' or 'T' in written recipes.

Pitfall
two tablespoon of salttwo tablespoons of salt

When used as a unit of measurement, the word must be pluralized if the amount is greater than one.


From table + spoon.

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

This entry
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated