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Atablespoon (tbsp., Tbsp., Tb., or T.) is a largespoon. In many English-speaking regions, the term now refers to a large spoon used for serving.[1] In some regions, it is the largest type of spoon used for eating.
By extension, the term is also used as acooking measure ofvolume. In this capacity, it is most commonly abbreviatedtbsp. orTbsp. and occasionally referred to as atablespoonful to distinguish it from the utensil. The unit of measurement varies by region: aUnited States liquid tablespoon is approximately 14.8 mL, exactly1⁄2 US fluid ounce; about 0.52 imperial fluid ounce. A British tablespoon is approximately 14.2 mL, exactly1⁄2 imperial fluid ounce; about 0.48 US fluid ounce.[2]
An international metric tablespoon is exactly 15 mL, about 0.53 imperial fluid ounce or 0.51 US fluid ounce.[3] An Australian metric tablespoon is 20 mL, about 0.7 imperial fluid ounce or 0.68 US fluid ounce.[4] 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.
Before about 1700, it was customary for Europeans to bring their own spoons to the table.[citation needed] Spoons were carried as personal property in much the same way as people today carry wallets, key rings, etc. From about 1700 theplace setting became popular, and with it the "table-spoon" (hyphenated), "table-fork" and "table-knife". Around the same time thetea-spoon anddessert-spoon first appeared. The table-spoon was reserved for eatingsoup.[5] The 18th century witnessed a proliferation of different sorts of spoons, including themustard-spoon,salt-spoon,coffee-spoon, andsoup-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 largerserving spoon.[citation needed] In 1928, when the first edition of theOxford English Dictionary was published, "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 andEdwardian era tablespoons used in the UK are often 25 mL, about 0.88 imperial fluid ounce or 0.85 US fluid ounce, or sometimes larger. They are used only for preparing and serving food, not as part of a place-setting. Common tablespoons intended for use ascutlery, calleddessert spoons in the UK, where a tablespoon is always a serving spoon, usually hold 7–14 mL, about 0.25–0.49 imperial fluid ounce or 0.24–0.47 US fluid ounce,[6] considerably less than some tablespoons used for serving.
| tablespoon | |
|---|---|
 Measuring spoons, with the largest one representing the volume of a tablespoon. | |
| General information | |
| Unit system | Imperial units,US customary units |
| Unit of | Volume |
| Symbol | tbsp |
| Conversions (imperial) | |
| 1 imp tbspin ... | ... is equal to ... |
| SI units | 14.207 mL |
| US customary units | 0.961 US tbsp |
| Conversions (US) | |
| 1 US tbspin ... | ... is equal to ... |
| SI units | 14.787 mL |
| Imperial units | 1.041 imp tbsp |
In recipes, an abbreviation liketbsp. is usually used to refer to a tablespoon, to differentiate it from the smaller teaspoon (tsp.). Some authors capitalize the abbreviation, asTbsp., while leavingtsp. in lower case, to emphasize that the larger tablespoon, rather than the smaller teaspoon, is wanted. The tablespoon abbreviation is sometimes abbreviated toTb. orT.
In most places, one tablespoon equals threeteaspoons. In Australia and the UK, one tablespoon equals four teaspoons.
An international metric tablespoon is exactly equal to 15 mL.[7] It is the equivalence of 11/2metric dessert spoons or 3metric teaspoons.
| 1 international metric tablespoon | = | 15 | mL |
| = | 3/4 | Australian metric tablespoon | |
| = | 11/2 | metric dessert spoons | |
| = | 3 | metric teaspoons | |
| ≈ | 4.22 | British imperial fluid drachm | |
| ≈ | 0.53 | British imperial fluid ounce | |
| ≈ | 1.06 | UK tablespoons | |
| ≈ | 2.11 | UK dessert spoons | |
| ≈ | 4.22 | UK teaspoons | |
| ≈ | 8.45 | UK salt spoons | |
| ≈ | 16.89 | UK pinches (solids only) | |
| ≈ | 253.41 | UK drops (liquids only) | |
| ≈ | 4.06 | US customary fluid drams | |
| ≈ | 0.51 | US customary fluid ounce | |
| ≈ | 1.01 | US customary tablespoons | |
| ≈ | 1.52 | US customary dessert spoons | |
| ≈ | 3.04 | US customary teaspoons | |
| ≈ | 6.09 | US customary coffee spoons | |
| ≈ | 12.17 | US customary salt spoons | |
| ≈ | 24.35 | US customary dashes (solids only) | |
| ≈ | 48.69 | US customary pinches (solids only) | |
| ≈ | 97.39 | US customary smidgens (solids only) | |
| ≈ | 292.16 | US customary drops (liquids only) |
The Australian metric tablespoon is different from that of the rest of the world. The Australian official definition of the tablespoon as a unit of volume is:[8]
| 1 Australian metric tablespoon | = 20 mL | ||
| = 11/3 international metric tablespoons | |||
| = 2 metric dessert spoons, | 1 metric dessert spoon = | 10 mL each | |
| = 4 metric teaspoons, | 1 metric teaspoon = | 5 mL each | |
| ≈ 5.63 British imperial fluid drachms | |||
| ≈ 0.7 British imperial fluid ounce | |||
| ≈ 1.41 UK tablespoons | |||
| ≈ 2.82UK dessert spoons | |||
| ≈ 4.12UK teaspoons | |||
| ≈ 11.26UK salt spoons | |||
| ≈ 22.52UK pinches (solids only) | |||
| ≈ 337.87UK drops (liquids only) | |||
| ≈ 5.41US customary fluid drams | |||
| ≈ 0.67US customary fluid ounce | |||
| ≈ 1.35 US customary tablespoons | |||
| ≈ 2.03US customary dessert spoons | |||
| ≈ 4.06US customary teaspoons | |||
| ≈ 4.06 US customary coffee spoons | |||
| ≈ 16.23US customary salt spoons | |||
| ≈ 32.46US customary dashes (solids only) | |||
| ≈ 64.92US customary pinches (solids only) | |||
| ≈ 129.85US customary smidgens (solids only) | |||
| ≈ 389.54US customary drops (liquids only) | |||
This definition was promulgated by the Metric Conversion Board in the 1970s, as part ofthe country’s metrication process.[9] There is not a distinct Australian metric dessert spoon or metric teaspoon.
In the UK, 1 tablespoon is traditionally 4British imperial fluid drachms[10] [newer source needed](1/2 British imperial fluid ounce).
| 1 UK tablespoon | = | 4 | British imperial fluid drachms |
| = | 2 | UK dessert spoons | |
| = | 4 | UK teaspoons | |
| = | 8 | UK salt spoons | |
| = | 16 | UK pinches (solids only) | |
| = | 240 | UK drops (liquids only) | |
| = | 1/2 | British imperial fluid ounce | |
| ≈ | 3.84 | US customary fluid drams | |
| ≈ | 0.48 | US customary fluid ounce | |
| ≈ | 0.96 | US customary tablespoon | |
| ≈ | 1.44 | US customary dessert spoons | |
| ≈ | 2.88 | US customary teaspoons | |
| ≈ | 5.76 | US customary coffee spoons | |
| ≈ | 11.53 | US customary salt spoons | |
| ≈ | 23.06 | US customary dashes (solids only) | |
| ≈ | 46.12 | US customary pinches (solids only) | |
| ≈ | 92.23 | US customary smidgens (solids only) | |
| ≈ | 276.70 | US customary drops (liquids only) | |
| ≈ | 14.207 | millilitres | |
| ≈ | 0.95 | international metric tablespoon | |
| ≈ | 0.71 | Australian metric tablespoon | |
| ≈ | 1.42 | metric dessert spoons | |
| ≈ | 2.84 | metric teaspoons |
The traditional U.S. interpretation of the tablespoon as a unit of volume is:[11]
| 1 US customary tablespoon | = 4 US fluid drams |
| = 11/2US customary dessert spoons | |
| = 3 US customary teaspoons | |
| = 6 US customary coffee spoons | |
| = 12 US customary salt spoons | |
| = 24 US customary dashes (solids only) | |
| = 48 US customary pinches (solids only) | |
| = 96 US customary smidgens (solids only) | |
| = 288 US customary drops (liquids only) | |
| =1/2 US fluid ounce | |
| ≈ 4.16 British imperial fluid drachms | |
| ≈ 0.52 British imperial fluid ounce | |
| ≈ 1.04 UK tablespoons | |
| ≈ 2.08UK dessert spoons | |
| ≈ 4.16UK teaspoons | |
| ≈ 8.33UK salt spoons | |
| ≈ 16.65UK pinches (solids only) | |
| ≈ 249.8UK drops (liquids only) | |
| ≈ 14.8 mL[12] | |
| ≈ 0.99 international metric tablespoon | |
| ≈ 0.74 Australian metric tablespoon | |
| ≈ 1.48metric dessert spoons | |
| ≈ 2.96metric teaspoons |
In nutrition labeling in the U.S., a tablespoon is defined as 15 mL,[13] about 4.22 British imperial fluid drachms (0.53 British imperial fluid ounce) or 4.06 US customary fluid drams, 0.51 US customary fluid ounce.
For dry ingredients, if a recipe calls for alevel tablespoon, the usual meaning without further qualification, is measured by filling the spoon and scraping it level. In contrast, aheaped,heaping, orrounded 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.
In the 18th century, the table-spoon became an unofficial unit of theapothecaries' system of measures, equal to 4 drams (1/2 fl oz, 14.8 mL). It was more commonly known by the Latin namecochleare majus (abbreviatedcochl. maj.) or, in apothecaries' notation,f℥ss orf℥ß (fluid ℥, i.e. ounce,semis, one-half).[14][15][16]
The dictionary definition oftablespoon at Wiktionary