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

Wipe away the cleaning solution with an unused paper towel, then spray on a bleach solution of one quart of water and four teaspoons of bleach. —Rabekah Henderson, Southern Living, 7 Feb. 2025

This leaves the core, a proto-neutron star, in the process of becoming a 12-mile-wide (20-kilometer-wide) stellar remnant so dense that, if brought to Earth, just a teaspoon of its constituent matter would weigh around 10 million tons. —Robert Lea, Space.com, 7 Feb. 2025

To make chia pudding, mix one-half cup of your choice of milk with two tablespoons of chia seeds and a teaspoon of your sweetener of choice. —Jamie Johnson, Verywell Health, 6 Feb. 2025

Combine a 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch with an equal amount of wine, and add to the pot. —Gretchen McKay, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 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