tablespoon
gb/tˈeɪbəlspˌun/ us/tˈeɪbəlspˌun/
A2
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
large spoon for serving food
A big spoon used to serve food.
Usage pattern:
[a/the] tablespoon; tablespoons
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse a tablespoon (a utensil) with a tablespoon (a measurement in recipes).
Synonyms
serving spoon (Often larger; a general term for a spoon used to serve food.)
|
soup spoon (Similar size in some sets, but typically shaped for eating soup rather than serving.)
Antonyms
teaspoon (A smaller spoon used for stirring or eating small amounts.)
Collocations
stainless-steel tablespoon
|a set of tablespoons
|serving tablespoon
|tablespoon and fork
|tablespoon and knife
|polish the tablespoons
|put out the tablespoons
|silver tablespoons
Themes
food_and_drink
|daily_life
|dining
Examples
- She set out the forks, knives, and tablespoons for dinner.
- Use a tablespoon to serve the rice onto the plates.
- The set came with six teaspoons and six tablespoons.
Learner examples
- I need a tablespoon for the salad.
- There are four tablespoons in the drawer.
Noun
B1
quantity
2
cooking measure about 15 ml
A cooking measure equal to 3 teaspoons (about 15 ml).
Usage pattern:
[number] tablespoon(s) (of [ingredient]); [number] tbsp (of [ingredient])
Common mistake:
A common mistake is mixing up tablespoon (tbsp) with teaspoon (tsp), which is much smaller.
Synonyms
tbsp (Common written abbreviation in recipes.)
Antonyms
teaspoon (A smaller cooking measure (1/3 of a tablespoon).)
Collocations
a tablespoon of sugar
|two tablespoons of olive oil
|one tablespoon of butter
|add a tablespoon
|tablespoon measure
|level tablespoon
|heaping tablespoon
|tablespoon (tbsp)
|3 teaspoons per tablespoon
Themes
food_and_drink
|cooking
|measurement
Examples
- Add two tablespoons of olive oil to the pan.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon of honey.
- The recipe calls for a tablespoon of lemon juice.
Learner examples
- Add one tablespoon of sugar.
- I used two tablespoons of milk.
Grammar
Dictionary form
tablespoon
IPA
GB/tˈeɪbəlspˌun/
US/tˈeɪbəlspˌun/
Syllables & stress
ta - ble - spoon (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (ta)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: tablespoon
- Plural: tablespoons
Expressions
a tablespoon of [something]
1/ə tˈeɪbəlspˌun əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
one tablespoon measure of ingredient
An amount equal to one tablespoon.
Examples
- Add a tablespoon of sugar and stir well.
- Mix in a tablespoon of mustard.
- She drizzled a tablespoon of olive oil over the salad.
heaping tablespoon
1/hˈipɪŋ tˈeɪbəlspˌun/
fixed phrase
rounded tablespoon, more than level
A tablespoon with extra on top (rounded).
Examples
- Add a heaping tablespoon of grated cheese.
- Top the pasta with a heaping tablespoon of pesto.
level tablespoon
1/lˈɛvəl tˈeɪbəlspˌun/
fixed phrase
tablespoon filled and leveled off
A tablespoon filled flat, not rounded.
Examples
- Use a level tablespoon of baking powder.
- The instructions specify one level tablespoon of cocoa powder.
tbsp
1/tbsp/
fixed phrase
abbreviation for tablespoon in recipes
“tbsp” means “tablespoon.”
Examples
- Add 2 tbsp of vinegar.
- Whisk in 1 tbsp sugar until it dissolves.