as much as a teaspoon will hold
"Please add exactly a teaspoon of salt to the soup, no more and no less."
a small spoon used for stirring tea or coffee; holds about one fluid dram
"She used a silver teaspoon to stir her cooling cup of Earl Grey before taking a sip."
A small spoon used to stir the contents of a cup or glass.
"He used a teaspoon to gently stir his cooling tea until the sugar dissolved."
In plain English: A teaspoon is a small spoon used for eating desserts, stirring drinks, or measuring tiny amounts of ingredients when cooking.
"She added half a teaspoon of sugar to her coffee before stirring."
Usage: Use "teaspoon" as a unit of measurement in recipes rather than referring to the physical object itself, which should be called a teaspoonful if quantity is implied. Avoid confusing this specific size with larger culinary measures like tablespoons unless explicitly distinguishing between them.
The word teaspoon is a straightforward combination of the words tea and spoon that emerged as people began using small spoons specifically to stir or serve their new favorite beverage. It entered English directly from this practical pairing rather than evolving from an older, unrelated term for any type of measuring utensil.