runcible spoon

English

Etymology

1871, coined by Edward Lear with no definition, but was applied to the following by 1926.

Noun

runcible spoon (plural runcible spoons)

  1. A fork-like spoon that has a cutting edge.
    • 1871, Edward Lear, “Owl & Pussy-Cat” in Nonsense Songs:
      They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
      Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
    • 2006, Lemony Snicket, The End, chapter 4, page 87
      But the Baudelaires accepted their bowls of ceviche, as well as the strange utensils Friday handed them, which were made of wood and looked like a combination of a fork and a spoon.
      "They're runcible spoons," Friday explained. "We don't have forks or knives in the colony, as they can be used as weapons."

Usage notes

  • The word runcible, by itself, has no separate meaning.

Quotations

  • For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:runcible spoon.

See also

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