teaspoon

noun

tea·​spoon ˈtē-ˌspün 

-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

Stir together ricotta, mozzarella, grated Parmesan, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in a small bowl; set ricotta mixture aside. —Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 15 Jan. 2025

To visualize how little exposure that entails, consider that one gram of poop (picture a quarter teaspoon) from a person with norovirus can include billions of viral particles. —Erica Sloan, SELF, 14 Jan. 2025

The average daily sugar consumption in the United States is 19 teaspoons (76 grams) for men and 15 teaspoons (60 grams) for women. —Merve Ceylan, Health, 14 Jan. 2025

Place bulbs on an 8x8-inch sheet of foil; drizzle each with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. —Josh Miller, Southern Living, 8 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing teaspoon

• level teaspoon/tablespoon

Kids Definition

teaspoon

noun

tea·​spoon ˈtē-ˌspün 

-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

tea·​spoon ˈtē-ˌspün, -ˈspün 

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