A tablespoon (tbsp. , Tbsp. , Tb. , or T.) is a large

spoon A spoon is a utensil consisting of a shallow bowl (also known as a head), oval or round, at the end of a handle. A type of cutlery (sometimes called flatware in the United States), especially as part of a place setting, it is used primarily f ...

. In many English-speaking regions, the term now refers to a large spoon used for serving; however, in some regions, it is the largest type of spoon used for eating. By extension, the term is also used as a cooking measure of

volume Volume is a measure of occupied three-dimensional space. It is often quantified numerically using SI derived units (such as the cubic metre and litre) or by various imperial or US customary units (such as the gallon, quart, cubic inch). Th ...

. In this capacity, it is most commonly abbreviated ''tbsp.'' or ''Tbsp.'' and occasionally referred to as a tablespoonful to distinguish it from the utensil. The unit of measurement varies by region: a United States tablespoon is approximately , a United Kingdom and Canadian tablespoon is exactly , and an Australian tablespoon is . The capacity of the utensil (as opposed to the measurement) is defined by neither law nor custom but only by preferences, and may or may not significantly approximate the measurement.

Dining

Before about 1700, it was customary for Europeans to bring their own spoons to the table. Spoons were carried as personal property in much the same way as people today carry wallets, key rings, etc. From about 1700 the

place setting Table setting (laying a table) or place setting refers to the way to set a table with tableware—such as eating utensils and for serving and eating. The arrangement for a single diner is called a place setting. It is also the layout in which t ...

became popular, and with it the "table-spoon" (hyphenated), "table-fork" and "table-knife". Around the same time the tea-spoon and dessert-spoon first appeared, and the table-spoon was reserved for eating

soup Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot (but may be cool or cold), that is made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, milk, or water. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ing ...

. The 18th century witnessed a proliferation of different sorts of spoons, including the mustard-spoon, salt-spoon, coffee-spoon, and soup-spoon. In the late 19th century UK, the dessert-spoon and soup-spoon began to displace the table-spoon as the primary implement for eating from a bowl, at which point the name "table-spoon" took on a secondary meaning as a much larger

serving spoon A spoon is a utensil consisting of a shallow bowl (also known as a head), oval or round, at the end of a handle. A type of cutlery (sometimes called flatware in the United States), especially as part of a place setting, it is used primarily for ...

. At the time the first edition of the

Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a com ...

was published in 1928, "tablespoon" (which by then was no longer hyphenated) still had two definitions in the UK: the original definition (eating spoon) and the new definition (serving spoon). Victorian and

Edwardian era The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victor ...

tablespoons used in the UK are often or sometimes larger. They are used only for preparing and serving food, not as part of a place-setting. Common tablespoons intended for use as cutlery (called

dessert spoon A dessert spoon is a spoon designed specifically for eating dessert and sometimes used for soup or cereals. Similar in size to a soup spoon (intermediate between a teaspoon and a tablespoon) but with an oval rather than round bowl, it typically h ...

s in the UK, where a tablespoon is always a serving spoon) usually hold , considerably less than some tablespoons used for serving.

Culinary measure

Naming

In recipes, an abbreviation like ''tbsp.'' is usually used to refer to a tablespoon, to differentiate it from the smaller teaspoon (''tsp.''). Some authors additionally capitalize the abbreviation, as ''Tbsp.'', while leaving ''tsp.'' in lower case, to emphasize that the larger tablespoon, rather than the smaller teaspoon, is wanted. The tablespoon abbreviation is sometimes further abbreviated to ''Tb.'' or ''T''.

Relationship to teaspoon and fluid ounce

In most places, except Australia, one tablespoon equals three

teaspoon A teaspoon (tsp.) is an item of cutlery. It is a small spoon that can be used to stir a cup of tea or coffee, or as a tool for measuring volume. The size of teaspoons ranges from about . For cooking purposes and dosing of medicine, a teaspoonf ...

s—and one US tablespoon is or .

Traditional definitions

In nutrition labeling in the U.S. and the U.K., a tablespoon is defined as . In Australia, the definition of the tablespoon is .

International

A metric tablespoon is exactly equal to .

United States

The traditional U.S. interpretation of the tablespoon as a unit of volume is: ::

Australia

The Australian definition of the tablespoon as a unit of volume is: ::

Dry measure

For dry ingredients, if a recipe calls for a ''level tablespoon'', the usual meaning without further qualification, is measured by filling the spoon and scraping it level. In contrast, a ''heaped'', ''heaping'', or ''rounded'' spoonful is not leveled off, and includes a heap above the spoon. The exact volume of a heaped tablespoon depends somewhat on the shape and curvature of the measuring spoon being used and largely upon the physical properties of the substance being measured, and so is not a precise unit of measurement. If neither a rounded nor a level tablespoon is specified, a level tablespoon is used, just as a cup of flour is a level cup unless otherwise specified.

Apothecary measure

In the 18th century, the table-spoon became an unofficial unit of the

apothecaries' system The apothecaries' system, or apothecaries' weights and measures, is a historical system of mass and volume units that were used by physicians and apothecaries for medical prescriptions and also sometimes by scientists."Medicinal-Gewicht, Apotheke ...

of measures, equal to 4 drams ( fl oz, 14.8 ml). It was more commonly known by the Latin name ''cochleare majus'' (abbreviated ''cochl. maj.'') or, in apothecaries' notation, ''f℥ss'' or ''f℥ß''.

References

{{United States Customary Units Cooking weights and measures Units of volume Spoons Customary units of measurement in the United States Imperial units Metricated units Alcohol measurement