spoon
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spoon¹
- /spuːn/
- [ˈspʊu̯n]
Rhymes with -uːn
Where it comes from
From Middle English spoon, spoune, spone, spon (“spoon, chip of wood”), from Old English spōn (“sliver, chip of wood, shaving”), from Proto-West Germanic *spānu, from Proto-Germanic *spēnuz (“chip, flake, shaving”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peH- (“chip, shaving, log, length of wood”).
Cognate with Scots spun, spon (“spoon, shingle”), West Frisian spoen (“chip”), Dutch spaan (“chip, flinders”), German Span (“chip, flake, shaving”), Swedish spån (“chip, flake”), Norwegian Nynorsk spon (“chip, spoon”), Faroese spónur (“wood chip; spoon”), Ancient Greek σφήν (sphḗn, “wedge”)(though the connection to the Greek is likely impossible by modern reconstructions of PIE). Eclipsed non-native Middle English cuculer, coclear (“spoon”), from Old English cuculer, cuceler, cucler, borrowed from Latin cochlear (“spoon”).
The "metaphoric unit of personal energy" sense was coined by writer and disability advocate Christine Miserandino in 2003 (see spoon theory).
noun spoons
- An implement for eating or serving; a scooped utensil whose long handle is straight, in contrast to a ladle. He must have a long spoon that must eat with the devil.
- An implement for stirring food while being prepared; a wooden spoon.
- A measure that will fit into a spoon; a spoonful. While Ms. Fly was with Sharon in the kitchen, Sharon asked the defendant for a “spoon of drugs.” Defendant refused and stated that he did not know where drugs could be obtained.
- A wooden-headed golf club with moderate loft, similar to the modern fairway wood.
- An oar. To this class college rowing offers no attractions or place, nor are they generally looked upon by the artists of the "spoons" as a desirable addition […]
- A type of metal lure resembling the concave head of a tablespoon.
- A spoon excavator.
- A South African shrub of the genus Spatalla.
- A simpleton, a spoony. To get all the advantages of being with men of this sort, you must know how to draw your inferences and not be a spoon who takes things literally.
- A safety handle on a hand grenade, a trigger.
- A metaphoric unit of finite physical and mental energy available for daily activities, especially in the context of living with chronic illness or disability. We therefore have to meticulously plan out each day with the small amount of spoons we have. Each task will cost us at least one spoon.
verb spoons · spooning · spooned
- To serve using a spoon; to transfer (something) with a spoon. Sarah spooned some apple sauce onto her plate.
- To flirt; to make advances; to court, to interact romantically or amorously. By the light of the silvery moon, / I want to spoon, / To my honey I'll croon love's tune, […]
- To lie nestled front-to-back, following the contours of the bodies, in a manner reminiscent of stacked spoons.
- To have sex in such a position.
- To hit (the ball) weakly, pushing it with a lifting motion, instead of striking with an audible knock. Law is in the field; the Criminal at the wicket. If Law makes a mistake—sends down a loose ball or drops a catch—the Criminal scores a little or has another lease of life. But if he makes a mistake—if he lets a straight ball pass or spoons towards a steady man—he is done for.
- To fish with a concave spoon bait.
- To catch by fishing with a concave spoon bait. He had with him all the tackle necessary for spooning pike.
spoon²
- /spuːn/
- [ˈspʊu̯n]
Rhymes with -uːn
Where it comes from
Uncertain. Compare spoom.
verb spoons · spooning · spooned
- Alternative form of spoom We might have spooned before the wind as well as they.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: spoonful, smooch, snog, spatula, teaspoon, ladle, plate, scoop, bucket, pet, key, neck, stirrer, runcible, pay, cryptographic
Translations
Every language
noun scooped utensil for eating (or serving)
| Español | cuchara |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 숟가락 sutgarak, 스푼 seupun |
| 日本語 | スプーン supūn, 匙 saji, 匙 kai |
| 中文 | 匙子 chízi, 湯匙 /汤匙 tāngchí, 調羹 /调羹 tiáogēng, 匙 chí, 勺子 sháozi |
| हिन्दी | चम्मच cammac, चम्चा camcā, चमस camas, दर्वि darvi, दर्वी darvī |
| Kiswahili | kijiko, mwiko |
| Português | colher |
| Français | cuiller, cuillère |
| Deutsch | Löffel |
| Italiano | cucchiaio |
| Ελληνικά | κουτάλι koutáli |
| Română | lingură |
| Русский | ло́жка lóžka, ло́жечка lóžečka |
| Tiếng Việt | thìa, muỗng |
| العربية | مِلْعَقَة milʕaqa |
| עברית | כַּף kaf |
noun metal lure for fishing
| 中文 | 魚漂 /鱼漂 yúpiāo |
|---|---|
| Kiswahili | kijiko |
| Ελληνικά | κουτάλι koutáli, κουταλάκι koutaláki |
| Română | lingură |
| Русский | блесна́ blesná |
verb to lie together
| Español | cucharear |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 抱睡 bàoshuì |
| Kiswahili | kijiko |
| Português | deitar de conchinha, fazer conchinha |
| Deutsch | Löffelchen schlafen |
verb to serve using a spoon
| Español | echar con una cuchara, servir con una cuchara, cucharear |
|---|
Talk about this word "spoon." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/spoon. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. spoon. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/spoon "spoon." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/spoon.Cite this
@misc{spoon_2026,
title = {spoon},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/spoon},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
