armful
nounUS /ˈɑɹmˌfəl/ · UK /ˈɑːmfl̩/
Etymology From arm + -ful (suffix forming nouns indicating as much as can be held by the noun to which it is attached).
1
The amount an arm or arms can hold.
- [T]ake three or four good arms full of muckle Straw, Hay, or Fern, not too wet, not to dry, and obſerving which ſide of the Orchard the Wind blows on, then laying a good armful of muckle in three or four places according to the bigneſs of your Orchard, then get ſome dry ſticks, and having kindled them put an armful of muckle upon the Fire, and it will ſmoak and ſmoother, and the wind will drive the ſmoak through the whole Orchard, continue it till the wind turn out of the Eaſterly quarter, and it will preſerve the Trees and Fruit from blites and all manner of flys and caterpillers, which thoſe ſorts of bliting winds uſually bring; [...]1670, [Joseph Blagrave], “How to Order an Orchard that It shall Never Misse Bearing”, in New Additions to the Art of Husbandry. …, London: […] Benjamin Billingsley, […], →OCLC, page 45:
- Upon this, by Conſent, the Doctors put a Good Armful of Warm Womans Fleſh into the Bed to him, [...]1692, Roger L’Estrange, “[The Fables of Abstemius, &c.] Fab[le] CCLXXXI. A Sick Hermit.”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLC, page 245:
4 more examples
- [T]hough Pyrocles and Muſidorus at other times would diſpence with the length of the ſports, yet now, in reſpect of the armfuls of joys they were to expect in bed, they thought them tedious; [...]1724, R[ichard] B[ellings], “A Sixth Book to The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia”, in Philip Sidney, The Works of the Honourable Sir Philip Sidney, Kt., volume III, London: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 53:
- The Lodge is to be made after this Manner; [...] You muſt lay a good Handful of Straw under the Cord upon the Turf, to prevent dirting the Cord, as well as ſpoiling the Turf, and you had need to have a good Armful in your Lodge, to keep you warm and dry, as Occaſion requires; [...]1725, [Noël] Chomel, “PLOVER”, in R[ichard] Bradley, editor, Dictionaire Oeconomique: Or, The Family Dictionary. […], volume II (I–Z), London: […] D[aniel] Midwinter, […], →OCLC, column 2:
- [I]t was thus the passion of Mr. Panton allayed its overflowings: for very shortly after his marriage, he again fell passionately in love with another lady; a bona roba Queen, the full head taller than himself, and more than an armfull.1812, Kate Mont Albion [pseudonym; Catharine Bayley], A Set-down at Court; […] In Four Volumes, volume I, London: […] Allen & Co., […], →OCLC, pages 30–31:
- We have here a handful—an armful would be nearer the truth—on poems on scriptural and sacred subjects.1837 July 1, “Our Library Table”, in The Athenæum: Journal of Literature, Science, and the Fine Arts, number 505, London: […] J[ohn] Francis. …, →OCLC, page 481, column 3: