mouthful

American  

[mouth-fool] / ˈmaʊθˌfʊl /

noun

plural

mouthfuls

1. the amount a mouth can hold.

2. the amount taken into the mouth at one time.

3. a small quantity.

4. Informal. a spoken remark of great truth, relevance, effectiveness, etc..

   You said a mouthful!

5. a long word or group of words, especially one that is hard to pronounce.

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mouthful British  

/ ˈmaʊθˌfʊl /

noun

1. as much as is held in the mouth at one time

2. a small quantity, as of food

3. a long word or phrase that is difficult to say

4. informal an abusive response

5. informal an impressive remark (esp in the phrase say a mouthful )

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mouthful Idioms  

1. see say a mouthful.

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Spelling

See -ful.

Etymology

Origin of mouthful

1375–1425; late Middle English. See mouth, -ful

Example Sentences

But today’s founders might well have a learner’s permit and a mouthful of braces.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s lighter than some Italian-American standbys, but no less satisfying — the flavor comes forward with every twist of the fork, sharp and indulgent in equal measure, a little citrus perfume in every mouthful.

From Salon

I take a tentative bite of my mushy sandwich and talk through the mouthful.

From Literature

The overnight reverse repo facility is a mouthful of bureaucratic nothing that describes something important: the Fed’s overflow tank for Wall Street’s cash.

From MarketWatch

The government department in charge of these archives is a bureaucratic mouthful: the Authority for Information Concerning Documentation of the Former State Security Service.

From The Wall Street Journal