A spork is a hybri form of cutlery taking the form of a spoon-like shallow scoop with the addition of the tines of a fork (usually three or four). Spork-like utensils have been manufactured since at least the late 1800s; patents for spork-like designs date back to at least 1874 and the word "spork" was registered as a trademark both in the U.S. and the UK decades later. Sporks are offered in both re-usable and disposable form and are quite versatile. They are commonly used by fast food restaurants, prisons, and backpackers.