chock-full

American  

[chok-fool, chuhk-] / ˈtʃɒkˈfʊl, ˈtʃʌk- /

Also chock-ful,

adjective

1. full to the limit; crammed.

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chock-full British  

adjective

1. (postpositive) completely full

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Etymology

Origin of chock-full

1350–1400; Middle English chokke-fulle, equivalent to chokke (< ?) + fulle full ¹

Explanation

Things that are chock-full are crowded or packed. If your neighborhood roller skating rink is chock-full of kids, there's not much room for more skaters. If your freezer is chock-full of ice cream sandwiches, there's no extra space for your ice cube trays, and if your house is chock-full of sweaty football players, you might want to open a window to air the place out. The adjective chock-full sounds modern, but it's been around since about 1400, originally as chokkeful, which may be rooted in choke, or "cheek."