pailful

1 4.4

An amount that fills a pail

noun
/ˈpeɪlˌfʊl/

: cubeta

After weeks of collecting, we finally had a pailful of berries to make jam.

Examples

"Well, borrow another pailful for me, will you?"

Fiction book (1992)
I borrowed that pailful from Labrees over there.

Fiction book (1992)
Yond same cloud cannot choose but fall by pailfuls.

The Tempest (2010)
Later, in Puerto Rico, a fellow graduate student brought in a pailful of thimble larvae.

Academic text (1991)
She filled the bucket to the top, creating a full pailful of fresh rainwater.
The farmer poured a pailful of feed into the trough for the chickens.

Synonyms

bucket

vspailful

55 1.0

The amount that a round open container with a handle can hold

is tied to the original container rather than this similar one

shovel

vspailful

8 1.0

The amount of material that fills a wide digging tool

is specific to the original container rather than this digging tool

pocketful

vspailful

7 3.0

An amount of something that fills a pocket

is the amount for the original container rather than this tiny pocket quantity

pail

vspailful

5 1.0

The amount of liquid or material that fits in a bucket

is the identical amount but differs only in written word form

bucketful

vspailful

4 1.8

An amount that fills a bucket

refers specifically to the amount filling the original named container

bagful

vspailful

4 1.1

An amount that fills a bag, like apples or candies

is the amount for the original container rather than this flexible one

sackful

vspailful

1 3.2

An amount that fills a sack, like a large bag of apples

is the amount tied to the original small container rather than this larger one

shovelful

vspailful

1 2.8

An amount of earth or snow that fills a shovel

is the amount for the original container rather than this heavy tool

bowlful

vspailful

1 2.2

An amount of something that fills a bowl

is specific to the original container rather than this serving dish

ladleful

vspailful

1 3.3

The amount of food or liquid that a ladle holds

is the amount for the original container rather than this single scoop

purseful

vspailful

Archaic

1 8.9

An amount of small items like coins that fills a small bag

is specific to the original container rather than this tiny pouch

truckful

vspailful

1 2.7

An amount that fills a truck

is the amount for the original small container rather than this large vehicle

tankful

vspailful

1 2.5

The amount of fuel a tank can hold

is the amount tied to the original small container rather than this large vessel

glassful

vspailful

1 1.4

An amount that fills a glass

refers to the amount for the original container rather than this vessel

scoopful

vspailful

1 2.3

The amount a spoon or small shovel can hold

is the amount tied to the original container rather than this scoop

potful

vspailful

1 1.9

An amount that fills a pot

is the amount tied to the original named container rather than this vessel

containerful

vspailful

3.7

The amount that fills a container

is specific to the original container rather than any container

canful

vspailful

5.2

The amount that fills a can

is the amount for the original named container rather than this sealed one

jarful

vspailful

2.5

An amount that fills a jar

focuses on the original named container rather than this glass one

dustpanful

vspailful

6.1

An amount that fits in the small pan used to collect dirt when sweeping

is the amount for the original container rather than this flat pan

panful

vspailful

3.3

An amount that fills a pan

is the amount for the original container rather than this flat tray

tubful

vspailful

3.7

An amount that fills a large open container like a bucket

is focused on the original container rather than this large basin

basinful

vspailful

6.1

An amount of water that fills a basin

is the amount for the original container rather than this washing bowl

binful

vspailful

5.8

An amount that fills a bin

is specific to the original container rather than this storage box

bootful

vspailful

9.0

An amount that fills a car boot

is the amount for the original small container rather than a car trunk

barrowful

vspailful

8.4

An amount that fills a wheelbarrow

is the amount for the original small container rather than this garden cart

wagonful

vspailful

3.1

An amount that fills a wagon

is the amount for the original small container rather than this transport cart

caskful

vspailful

8.2

The amount of liquid a full barrel or cask holds

is for the original small container rather than this full barrel

How Much

barrelful

1 2.8

pailful

1 4.4

cup

609 1.0

drop

349 1.0

Surface Forms

pailful singular

pailfuls plural

Morphology

pailful = pail (transparent) = pail + ful

Formed by a standard measure/count noun pattern (pail + -ful) meaning 'an amount that fills a pail', which learners can infer from 'pail'.

Etymology

The word pailful is made of pail and the ending -ful, where -ful means 'full of' or 'an amount that fills'. Like cupful or handful, a pailful is the amount that fills a pail.