tablespoon

1. (Canada, US) A large spoon, used for eating food from a bowl.Examples: "Their eggs were deposited on a few bits of straw, and great caution was necessary in attempting to procure them, as the slightest touch crumbled their frail tenement into dust. By means of a tablespoon, I was enabled to procure many of them."Synonyms: dessertspoon, dessert spoonCanadaUS

2. (Australia, New Zealand, Northern UK) A spoon too large for eating, usually used for cooking or serving.AustraliaNew-ZealandNorthern-UK

3. (cooking) A unit of volume, the value of which varies regionally; in the US: three teaspoons or one half fluid ounce or roughly 15 ml; in Britain and Canada: exactly 15 ml; in Russia 18 ml; in Australia: four teaspoons or 20 ml.Examples: "1995 May 22, Salad Recipes, New York, page 51, Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a nonstick skillet until hot and quickly saute the goat-cheese buttons on both sides until brown."; "In Australia, 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml, and there are 4 teaspoons in the Australian tablespoon."; "2006, Tempted: 150 Very Wicked Desserts, Murdoch Books, UK, copyright page, If you are using a 15 ml (3 teaspoon) tablespoon, for most recipes the difference will not be noticeable."Synonyms: tablespoonful, tbsp, tbs, f℥ss, f℥ß