Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

wooden spoon

noun

Definition of wooden spoon

1 : a spoon made of wood presented originally at Cambridge University to the man ranking lowest among those taking honors in the mathematical tripos and at other colleges and universities to other selected recipients
2 : the recipient of a wooden spoon

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Learn More about wooden spoon

Share wooden spoon

Statistics for wooden spoon

Look-up Popularity

Comments on wooden spoon

What made you want to look up wooden spoon? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

bower

Listen to the pronounciation of bower

a shady place in a garden or forest

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Original Meanings Quiz

  • rembrandt-painting-a-young-scholar-and-his-tutor
  • Which of the following is the earliest known sense of the word awe?
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games