teaspoon

noun

tea·​spoon ˈtē-ˌspün How to pronounce teaspoon (audio)
-ˈspün
1
: a small spoon that is used especially for eating soft foods and stirring beverages and that holds about one third of a tablespoon
2
: a unit of measure especially in cookery equal to ¹/₆ fluid ounce or ¹/₃ tablespoon (5 milliliters)

Examples of teaspoon in a Sentence

She stirred her coffee with a teaspoon. He measured the salt with a teaspoon. She put a teaspoon of sugar in her coffee.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Add thyme and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Ann Taylor Pittman, Southern Living, 5 June 2025 Add the onions, ½ teaspoon of the pepper, and the chicken pieces. Georgeanne Brennan, Mercury News, 5 June 2025 And then the continuity, the teaspoon has to go back in the cup exactly the way... Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 3 June 2025 Just a teaspoon of the toxic metal can contaminate a 20-acre lake. Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for teaspoon

Word History

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of teaspoon was in 1686

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Cite this Entry

“Teaspoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teaspoon. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

teaspoon

noun
tea·​spoon ˈtē-ˌspün How to pronounce teaspoon (audio)
-ˈspün
1
: a small spoon used especially for eating soft foods and stirring beverages
2
: a unit of measure used especially in cooking equal to ⅙ fluid ounce or ⅓ tablespoon (about 5 milliliters)

Medical Definition

teaspoon

noun
: a unit of measure equal to ¹/₆ fluid ounce or ¹/₃ tablespoon or 5 milliliters

More from Merriam-Webster on teaspoon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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