<p>A <b>spork</b> or a <b>foon</b> is a hybrid form of cutlery taking the form of a spoon-like shallow scoop with three or four fork tines Spork-like utensils, such as the terrapin fork or ice cream fork, have been manufactured since the late 1800s;patents for spork-like designs date back to at least 1874, and the word &quot;spork&quot; was registered as a trademark in the US and the UK decades later. They are used by fast food restaurants, schools, prisons, the military and backpackers.</p>
<p>The <i>spork</i> is a portmanteau word combining <i>spoon</i> and <i>fork</i>. Similarly, the word <i>foon</i> is a blend of <i>fork</i> and <i>spoon</i>. The word <i>&quot;spork&quot;</i> appeared in the 1909 supplement to the <i>Century Dictionary</i>, where it was described as a trade name and &quot;a \'portmanteau-word\' applied to a long, slender spoon having, at the end of the bowl, projections resembling the tines of a fork&quot;.</p>