spoon

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: an eating or cooking implement consisting of a small shallow bowl with a relatively long handle
b
: spoonful
two spoons of sugar
2
: something (such as a tool or fishing lure) that resembles a spoon in shape

spoon

2 of 2

verb

spooned; spooning; spoons

transitive verb

: to take up and usually transfer in a spoon

intransitive verb

1
: to nestle close together while lying down with one person facing the back of another
2
[perh. from the Welsh custom of an engaged man's presenting his fiancée with an elaborately carved wooden spoon] : to engage in amorous caressing, kissing, and conversation : neck

Examples of spoon in a Sentence

Noun an assortment of metal and wooden spoons should be part of every cook's culinary arsenal Verb She spooned the gravy onto her potatoes. He spooned the ice cream into a bowl.
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.
Noun
Using a slotted spoon, transfer meatballs to a plate and set aside. Kelly Brant, arkansasonline.com, 6 Nov. 2024 The rarest piece in the Museum set (Carney estimates that there may be four surviving in the world) is a porcelain salt spoon with a bowl the size of a hazelnut half and a handle that’s barely thicker than a toothpick. Anna Hezel, Curbed, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
Once the alcohol has burned off and the flames die down, spoon the cherry sauce over slices of lemon-poppy-seed pound cake and vanilla ice cream. Alyson Sheppard, Robb Report, 2 Nov. 2024 Place the pork steaks on one side of the sheet pan and spoon any extra sauce on top. Tribune News Service, The Denver Post, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for spoon 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English spōn splinter, chip; akin to Old High German spān splinter, chip

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1715, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of spoon was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near spoon

Cite this Entry

“Spoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spoon. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

spoon

1 of 2 noun
1
: a utensil with a small shallow bowl and a handle that is used especially in eating and cooking
2
: something (as a fishing lure) that resembles a spoon in shape

spoon

2 of 2 verb
: to take up in or as if in a spoon
Etymology

Noun

Old English spōn "a chip of wood"

More from Merriam-Webster on spoon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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