spoon
noun · verb
Simple meaning
An implement for eating or serving.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
spoonIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈspun
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
An implement for eating or serving; a scooped utensil whose long handle is straight, in contrast to a ladle.
An implement for stirring food while being prepared; a wooden spoon.
As much as a spoon will hold
“He added two spoons of sugar.”
A measure that will fit into a spoon; a spoonful.
verb
transitive or intransitiveinformalof persons
To lie nestled front-to-back, following the contours of the bodies, in a manner reminiscent of stacked spoons.
To serve using a spoon; to transfer (something) with a spoon.
transitive
To catch by fishing with a concave spoon bait.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B1 · Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- General and technical use
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: An implement for eating or serving; a scooped utensil whose long handle is straight, in contrast to a ladle.
Used this way, spoon is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use spoon
- “He added two spoons of sugar.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Soft bread made of cornmeal and sometimes rice or hominy.
A diet that does not require chewing.
A fork-like spoon with a cutting edge.
The inherited wealth of established upper-class families.
A spoon with a rounded bowl for eating soup.
A spoon for serving sugar.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.