-ful

¹ American  

1. a suffix meaning “full of,” “characterized by” (shameful; beautiful; careful; thoughtful ); “tending to,” “able to” (wakeful; harmful ); “as much as will fill” (spoonful ).

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Ful ² American  

[fool] / fʊl /

noun

plural

Fuls,

plural

Ful

1. Fulani.

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-ful British  

suffix

1. (forming adjectives) full of or characterized by

   painful

   spiteful

   restful

2. (forming adjectives) able or tending to

   helpful

   useful

3. (forming nouns) indicating as much as will fill the thing specified

   mouthful

   spoonful

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Spelling

The plurals of nouns ending in -ful are usually formed by adding -s to the suffix: two cupfuls; two scant teaspoonfuls. Perhaps influenced by the phrase in which a noun is followed by the adjective full ( both arms full of packages ), some speakers and writers pluralize such nouns by adding -s before the suffix: two cupsful.

Usage

What does -ful mean? The suffix -ful means “full of,” “characterized by,” “tending to,” “able to,” or “as much as will fill.” It is often used in a variety of technical and everyday terms.The suffix -ful comes from Old English -full, meaning “full.” The Latin equivalent of -ful is -ōsus, meaning “full of,” which has become the English adjectival suffixes -ose, as in jocose, and -ous, as in glorious. To learn more, check out all four entries.

Etymology

Origin of -ful

Middle English, Old English -full, -ful, representing full, ful full ¹

Example Sentences

The tahini also plays a central role in the superb ful medames on the brunch menu, making for a version of the stew in which the fava beans, still holding their shape, are buried in the creamy paste.

From Washington Post

Ful medames, fava beans cooked low and slow until they’re as soft as can be, are beloved in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and elsewhere in the region.

From Washington Post

In her beautiful 2018 book, “Feast: Food of the Islamic World,” the Lebanon-born author Anissa Helou writes that in Egypt, people take their own pot to a street-food vendor “to have him fill it with ful to eat in the comfort of their home.”

From Washington Post

Ful medames is cooked ahead to give the favas time to soften and collapse into a creamy spread with a seemingly unlimited capacity to drink up olive oil.

From New York Times

They have had the cafe and restaurant closed for most of the pandemic, but I’m so excited to see them open a new space and I can’t wait to get some of the best ful in the city again.

From Seattle Times