Tablespoon

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A tablespoon (tbsp., Tbsp., Tb., or T.) is a large spoon. In many English-speaking regions, the term now refers to a large spoon used for serving;^[1] however, in some regions, it is the largest type of spoon used for eating.

By extension, the term is also used as a cooking measure of volume. In this capacity, it is most commonly abbreviated tbsp. or Tbsp. and occasionally referred to as a tablespoonful to distinguish it from the utensil. The unit of measurement varies by region: a United States liquid tablespoon is approximately 14.8 ml (0.50 US fl oz), a European, United Kingdom and Canadian tablespoon is exactly 15 ml (0.51 US fl oz),^[2] and an Australian tablespoon is 20 ml (0.68 US fl oz).^[3] 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.