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Meaning of spoon in English:

spoon

Pronunciation /spuːn/

Translate spoon into Spanish

noun

  • 1An implement consisting of a small, shallow oval or round bowl on a long handle, used for eating, stirring, and serving food.

    ‘Holding a spoon and a bowl, this woman lunches quietly, pensively and, most importantly, alone on the grass.’
    • ‘Thirteen-month-old Kristin turns her head away when offered food on a spoon.’
    • ‘He would make everyday utensils, such as spoons and bowls, and even made a 24-blade knife.’
    • ‘‘These products are designed to be a convenient way to get the benefits of dairy in the morning without having to sit down with a bowl and spoon,’ she says.’
    • ‘So I borrowed the spoon and I took it to Roy in the Hilton Hotel in New York.’
    • ‘Bung it in the pan and smooth it out with an oiled spoon.’
    • ‘A carpenter or carver of mortars and spoons might become a sculptor of statues.’
    • ‘Alright, open the jar and get your spoon and take a big scoop out of it.’
    • ‘A table, covered in white cloth and silver spoons was set in front of him, and he went to his meat.’
    • ‘Watching the chefs at work was fascinating too although I was a bit taken aback to note that they lick their fingers and serving spoons as they plate up the food.’
    • ‘Puddings are devoured amid a flurry of spoons darting back and forth across the table.’
    • ‘Our fields are full of old spoons and forks and pieces of broken cups, saucers and plates.’
    • ‘He is like a child hammering a spoon on the table, the way he pounds his fists on the arm of his chair.’
    • ‘Never tap your water glass with a spoon to get the server's attention.’
    • ‘Yogurts not only are designed with resealable tops, but with in-lid spoons.’
    • ‘In any case, the idea is good - eliminate the reason consumers can't eat yogurt on the run, based upon the premise that consumers can't ever find a spoon to eat their yogurt.’
    • ‘It also appeals to mothers because you don't have to pack a spoon for it and then wonder if it's going to come back.’
    • ‘He sits upright and brings his spoon up to his lips.’
    • ‘Minutes later, he stops stirring and puts down the spoon.’
    • ‘It's yogurt in a tube so you don't need a spoon to eat it.’
    spoon, ladle, dipper
    1. 1.1The contents of a spoon.
      ‘three spoons of sugar’
      • ‘I dropped the strainer method and adopted tea bags, made in the mug, but the drink (Assam with no more than a drop of milk and two heaped spoons of sugar) turned out the same: hot, strong and syrupy.’
      • ‘One day I was putting six spoons of sugar into a cup of tea, when I saw some men at another table watching me.’
    2. 1.2spoonsA pair of spoons held in the hand and beaten together rhythmically as a percussion instrument.
      ‘By swapping guitars for spoons, the band's sound is basic yet shiny.’
      • ‘It is a whimsical piece featuring spoons and stride piano.’
      • ‘But it's not just a superior production job they have going for them: Volume 1 would be just as chilling played on a banjo and a set of spoons.’
      • ‘As with bones, spoons are usually played in pairs and usually a pair in each hand.’
      • ‘Guests in the front row are provided with refreshment (club sandwiches) and spoons to play in some of the more lively numbers.’
      • ‘Remember, if you are having trouble keeping the spoons in line, you are probably not holding them firmly.’
      • ‘There's the potentially useful stuff; glossaries of opera terms, a hip-hop dictionary, a guide to playing the spoons and so on.’
      • ‘If signing policies get any more experimental and eclectic, they'll be offering contracts to buskers who play the spoons.’

  • 2A thing resembling a spoon in shape.

    • ‘They'd grow that pinkie at least a good half-inch past the finger and shape it perfectly, and that was the ultimate coke spoon of the time.’
    1. 2.1A fishing lure designed to wobble when pulled through the water.
      ‘During the past week 26 anglers caught 53 trout for 68 lb in 49 angling days, mostly all to wet fly but also some by anglers trolling spoon baits.’
      • ‘We could see how many fishermen had delved into these waters by the hundreds of spoon baits lodged in the weed.’
      • ‘Some fishermen trolled dead bait as well as various types of spoon baits and some trout were caught.’
    2. 2.2An oar with a broad curved blade.
      oar, scull, sweep, blade, spoon, spade
    3. 2.3Golf dated A club with a slightly concave wooden head.

verb

  • 1with object and adverbial of direction Put (food) into or on something with a spoon.

    ‘Rosie spooned sugar into her mug’
    • ‘I reach for it and he shakes his head; he spoons the sugar on my rice.’
    • ‘She was smoking a cheap cigarette while spooning white sugar into a cup of tea stewed from the cheapest of teabags.’
    • ‘‘Well,’ I began, spooning some banana into my mouth.’
    • ‘He sat on the cot just beside Jude's, spooning cold beans into his mouth.’
    • ‘She sat back down and spooned some stew into her mouth.’
    • ‘She stood over him, frowning, as Joe spooned soup into his mouth.’
    • ‘Tina watched, shaking her head as Hank spooned a generous helping of rice into his bowl before filling it with chowder.’
    • ‘He had already seated his two children on his lap and was now spooning generous helpings of spiced apple sauce onto their plates.’
    • ‘He then opened a jar of cherry preserve, spooned some out, and put it in his mouth.’
    • ‘I opened the freezer, grabbed a quart of ice scream and spooned a few scoops into a bowl.’
    • ‘Alexander had eaten more of the fruit dessert than he had thought and found himself spooning the last of it on his plate.’
    • ‘I spooned some of the whipped cream into my mouth, making sure I didn't get it all round my mouth.’
    • ‘The sailor nodded in reply, spooning some porridge into his mouth.’
    • ‘He spooned some into Adam's reluctantly obedient mouth and crooned, ‘There we are.’’
    • ‘I absently spooned some of my porridge into my mouth, my thoughts focused on the two pages of a one month old London newspaper which I had managed to get my hands on the day before in town.’
    • ‘I watched with concern as she spooned it into Maki's mouth.’
    • ‘Raven began to settle back but then Morgaine spooned some peas onto her knife and shoved them into her mouth.’
    • ‘When the batter was ready, I spooned batter onto a cookie sheet, and heated the stove.’
    scoop, scoop up, spade, dig, excavate, move, shift, heap, spoon, ladle, toss

  • 2informal, dated no object (of two people) behave in an amorous way; kiss and cuddle.

    • ‘I saw them spooning on the beach’
    • ‘‘The shooter aiming from Horseshoe Beach thought you and I were spooning on that ledge,’ she whispered.’
    embrace, hug, caress, pet, fondle
    1. 2.1(of two people) lie close together sideways and front to back, so as to fit together like spoons.
      • ‘Caleb turned off the light and spooned up beside her and kissed the back of her head before he closed his eyes and tried to sleep.’
      • ‘She spooned up against him, hooking her chin on his neck.’
      • ‘When he woke up, we were spooning.’
      • ‘I typically always start out spooning and I am pretty small, so usually I'm the little spoon.’
      • ‘He's stayed at my house three times but all we've done is fall asleep while spooning each other.’

  • 3with object Hit (a ball) up into the air with a soft or weak stroke.

    • ‘he spooned his shot high over the bar’

Origin

Old English spōn ‘chip of wood’, of Germanic origin; related to German Span ‘shaving’. spoon (sense 1 of the noun) is of Scandinavian origin. The verb dates from the early 18th century.