WordGarden.ioteaspoon
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /tˈiːspuːn/
US
- /ˈtiˌspun/
Meanings
Noun
a small spoon used for stirring, serving, or eating small amounts
a unit of volume equal to about 5 milliliters
Beyond the definition
A teaspoon is a small spoon often used for stirring tea or coffee and for eating soft foods. It is also a standard measure in cooking and baking, equal to about five milliliters. In recipes, it helps with small amounts such as sugar, salt, vanilla, or spices.
You might read, "Add one teaspoon of cinnamon," or say, "Just a teaspoon of sugar, please." The word can also mean a very small amount in everyday speech, though that use is less common. Overall, it is a simple word for both a small spoon and a small measure.
The word "teaspoon" refers to both a small spoon and a unit of measurement. As an object, it is the kind of spoon people often use to stir tea or coffee, or to eat foods like yogurt or dessert. It is smaller than a tablespoon and is made for small, light amounts rather than large servings.
As a measure, a teaspoon usually means about five milliliters. This is one of the most common small units in cooking and baking. Recipes often use it for ingredients such as salt, sugar, baking powder, vanilla, oil, or spices. For example, you may see instructions like "Add 1 teaspoon of salt" or "Mix in 2 teaspoons of lemon juice." In many contexts, "tsp" is used as the written abbreviation.
The word can also be used more loosely to mean a small amount. Someone might say, "Put in just a teaspoon," even in casual speech outside a formal recipe. In some cases, people use it figuratively for a tiny amount of something, but the literal meanings are much more common and more important for learners.
There can be small regional differences in exact measurement standards, but in everyday English, a teaspoon is widely understood as a small spoon and a small cooking measure of about five milliliters. This makes it a useful word in the kitchen, at the table, and in daily conversation.
Examples
- 1
Drink stirring
He stirred his coffee with a teaspoon.
- 2
Cooking measure
Add a teaspoon of sugar to the sauce.
- 3
Recipe quantity
The recipe only needs half a teaspoon of salt.
- 4
Medicine dose
Take one teaspoon of the cough syrup before bed.
See also
Similar
- small spoon
Shades of meaning
- coffee spoon
- demitasse spoon
Contrast
Do not confuse
- teaspoon as a measure
Used with (collocations)
- stir with a teaspoon
- silver teaspoon
Word family
Explore
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- teaspoonnoun
Forms
- teaspoonspluralnoun