From Middle English ful, from Old English full (“full”), from Proto-West Germanic *full, from Proto-Germanic *fullaz (“full”), from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₁nós (“full”). Germanic cognates include West Frisian fol, Low German vull, Dutch vol, German voll, Danish fuld, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish full. Proto-Indo-European cognates include English plenty (via Latin, compare plēnus), Welsh llawn, Russian по́лный (pólnyj), Lithuanian pilnas, Persian پر (por), Sanskrit पूर्ण (pūrṇá). See also fele and Scots fou (whence the English doublet fou (“drunk”)). For the "drunk, intoxicated" sense, compare also Swedish full and other Scandinavian languages.
Containing the maximum possible amount that can fit in the space available.
The jugs were full to the point of overflowing.
2
Complete; with nothing omitted.
Our book gives full treatment to the subject of angling.
Anybody can cure a curable disease if he happens to have the right drug at hand, but the treatment of a condition for which there is no positive cure makes much greater demands on the doctor, who has to be practical pharmacologist, human being, psychiatrist, and father confessor—he has, in fact, to be a proper physician in the fullest sense of the word.1976 March 27, F. Dudley Hart, “History of the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis”, in British Medical Journal, volume 1, number 6012, →DOI, →JSTOR, page 763:
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Not long ago, it was difficult to produce photographs of tiny creatures with every part in focus.[…]A photo processing technique called focus stacking has changed that. Developed as a tool to electronically combine the sharpest bits of multiple digital images, focus stacking is a boon to biologists seeking full focus on a micron scale.2013 July-August, Catherine Clabby, “Focus on Everything”, in American Scientist:
Category theory, Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences Including all morphisms. Formally: Such that for every pairs of objects (X, Y) in S, the hom-sets operatorname Hom_S(X,Y) and operatorname Hom_C(X,Y) are equal.
Of a subcategory S of C
5
Total, entire.
'Twas early June, the new grass was flourishing everywheres, the posies in the yard—peonies and such—in full bloom, the sun was shining, and the water of the bay was blue, with light green streaks where the shoal showed.1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
She had tattoos the full length of her arms. He was prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
6
Completely empowered, authorized or qualified (in some role); not limited.
full member
full officer
7
Informal Having eaten to satisfaction, having a "full" stomach; replete.
This movie doesn't make sense; it's full of plot holes.
I prefer my pizzas full of toppings.
9
In plural, Informal, Of hands Carrying as much as possible.
Hang on - my hands are full; just let me put these down.
10
Of physical features Plump, round.
full lips; a full face; a full figure
11
Of the moon Having its entire face illuminated.
For on those evenings, when the moon is full and bright and clear, mothers and fathers in Siam tell their children to look up at the moon and then ask them what they see there.1969, Alan S. Feinstein, Folk tales from Siam, page 82:
12
Of clothing Of a size that is ample, wide, or having ample folds or pleats to be comfortable.
a full pleated skirt; She needed her full clothing during her pregnancy.
13
Having depth and body; rich.
a full singing voice
14
Obsolete Having the mind filled with ideas; stocked with knowledge; stored with information.
Reading maketh a full man.1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Studies”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:
15
Having the attention, thoughts, etc., absorbed in any matter, and the feelings more or less excited by it.
She's full of her latest project.
Everyone is now full of the miracles done by cold baths on decayed and weak constitutions.1693, [John Locke], “§7”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC:
16
Filled with emotions.
The heart is so full that a drop overfills it.1848, James Russell Lowell, The Vision of Sir Launfal:
Ilia, the fair, […] full of Mars.1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
Mr. Coniff: That is the only evidence you gave of his being intoxicated, that his hat was on the side? […] Mr. Coniff: That is the only indication you gave the committee when you were asked if the judge was full, that his hat was on the side of his head; is that right?1925, United States House Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee No. 1, Charges Against William E. Baker, U.S. District Judge
From Middle English ful, from Old English full (“full”), from Proto-West Germanic *full, from Proto-Germanic *fullaz (“full”), from Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₁nós (“full”). Germanic cognates include West Frisian fol, Low German vull, Dutch vol, German voll, Danish fuld, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish full. Proto-Indo-European cognates include English plenty (via Latin, compare plēnus), Welsh llawn, Russian по́лный (pólnyj), Lithuanian pilnas, Persian پر (por), Sanskrit पूर्ण (pūrṇá). See also fele and Scots fou (whence the English doublet fou (“drunk”)). For the "drunk, intoxicated" sense, compare also Swedish full and other Scandinavian languages.
Prospero: I have done nothing but in care of thee, Of thee, my dear one, thee, my daughter, who Art ignorant of what thou art; naught knowing Of whence I am, nor that I am more better Than Prospero, master of a full poor cell, And thy no greater father.1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
[…] full in the centre of the sacred wood1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
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You know full well what makes me look so pale.1819, John Keats, Otho the Great, act IV, scene I, verse 112:
This cupboard[…] this other one, His true wife's charge, full oft to their abode Yielded for daily bread the martyr's stone,1880, Dante Gabriel Rosetti, William Blake, lines 9–12:
It is full strange to him who hears and feels, When wandering there in some deserted street, The booming and the jar of ponderous wheels,[…]1874, James Thomson, The City of Dreadful Night, section IX:
I turned my head, and as I lay gasping in the throes of that awful struggle I could see that Leo was off the rock now, for the lamplight fell full upon him.1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:
Etymology From Middle English fulle, fylle, fille, from Old English fyllu, fyllo (“fullness, fill, plenty”), from Proto-Germanic *fullį̄, *fulnō (“fullness, filling, overflow”), from Proto-Indo-European *plūno-, *plno- (“full”), from *pelh₁-, *pleh₁- (“to fill; full”). Cognate with German Fülle (“fullness, fill”), Icelandic fylli (“fulness, fill”). More at fill.
1
Utmost measure or extent; highest state or degree; the state, position, or moment of fullness; fill.
The swan's-down feather, That stands upon the swell at full of tide.c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
Sicilian tortures and the brazen bull, Are emblems, rather than express the full Of what he feels.1693, Decimus Junius Juvenalis, John Dryden, transl., “[The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis.] The Third Satyr”, in The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis. Translated into English Verse. […] Together with the Satires of Aulus Persius Flaccus. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC:
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I was fed to the full.
[…] he had tasted their food, and found it so palatable that he had eaten his full before he knew it.1911, Berthold Auerbach, Bayard Taylor, The villa on the Rhine:
Early next morning we were over at the elk carcass, and, as we expected, found that the bear had eaten his full at it during the night.2008, Jay Cassell, The Gigantic Book Of Hunting Stories:
When he had eaten his full, they set to work again.2010, C. E. Morgan, All the Living: A Novel:
2
Of the moon The phase of the moon when its entire face is illuminated, full moon.
It is like, that the brain of man waxeth moister and fuller upon the full of the moon: …a. 1622, Francis Bacon, Natural History, in The works of Francis Bacon, 1765, page 322
a. 1656, Joseph Hall, Josiah Pratt (editor), Works, Volume VII: Practical Works, Revised edition, 1808 page 219, This earthly moon, the Church, hath her fulls and wanings, and sometimes her eclipses, while the shadow of this sinful mass hides her beauty from the world.
3
Gymnastics, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports A flip involving a complete turn in midair.
4
An aerialist maneuver consisting of a backflip in conjunction and simultaneous with a complete twist.
Freestyle skiing
Derived terms
at full, at the full, in full, to the full, double full, double full-full, full-double full, full-double full-full, full-full, full-full-full, lay-double full-full, lay-full, lay-full-full
full
verb
Etymology From Middle English fulle, fylle, fille, from Old English fyllu, fyllo (“fullness, fill, plenty”), from Proto-Germanic *fullį̄, *fulnō (“fullness, filling, overflow”), from Proto-Indo-European *plūno-, *plno- (“full”), from *pelh₁-, *pleh₁- (“to fill; full”). Cognate with German Fülle (“fullness, fill”), Icelandic fylli (“fulness, fill”). More at fill.
1
Of the moon To become full or wholly illuminated.
The September moon fulls on the 20th at 24 minutes past midnight, and is called the harvest moon.1888 September 20, “The Harvest Moon”, in New York Times, retrieved 10 Apr 2013:
"By the black cave of Atropos, when the moon fulls, keep thy tryst!"1905, Annie Fellows Johnston, chapter 4, in The Little Colonel's Christmas Vacation:
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"The moon fulls to-night, don't it?"1918, Kate Douglas Wiggin, chapter 29, in The Story Of Waitstill Baxter:
full
verb
Etymology From Middle English fullen, fulwen (“to baptise”), from Old English fullian, fulwian (“to baptise”), from full- + *wīhan (later *wēon (“to make holy”)). Compare Old English fulluht, fulwiht (“baptism”).
1
To baptise.
And thy diſciples fulleden men in thy name, in forgiueneſſe of her ſinnes.1610 October, John Foxe, “An Old Ancient Writing Intituled, The Praier and Complaint of the Ploughman”, in Actes and Monuments of Matters Most Speciall and Memorable, Happening in the Church, with an Vniuersall Historie of the Same. […], 6th edition, volume I, London: […] [Humphrey Lownes] for the Company of Stationers, →OCLC, book V, page 373, column 2:
Etymology From Middle English fullen (“to full”), from Anglo-Norman fuller, fuler, Middle French foller, fouler, from Old French foler, fouler (“to tread, stamp, full”), from Medieval Latin fullāre, from Latin fullō (“a fuller”). Compare Old English fullian (“to full”).
1
To make cloth denser and firmer by soaking, beating and pressing; to waulk or walk.