shovelful

American  

[shuhv-uhl-fool] / ˈʃʌv əlˌfʊl /

noun

plural

shovelfuls

1. the amount held by a shovel.

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Spelling

See -ful.

Etymology

Origin of shovelful

First recorded in 1525–35; shovel + -ful

Example Sentences

Kneeling on the hard winter ground, the son cried again as shovelfuls of earth were thrown into the grave.

From Seattle Times

Michael Beale asked his side to give themselves a platform for the second leg in the Netherlands and, although they lacked refinement at times, shovelfuls of endeavour kept them in the tie.

From BBC

In almost all cases, it came down to inadequate thought and planning before the first shovelful of dirt was turned.

From Seattle Times

The yellow-vested teams work in areas slated for construction, carefully digging 10 feet or more into hard alluvial soil and pushing shovelfuls of dirt through course-mesh screens to gather the smallest pieces of evidence.

From Los Angeles Times

As oil rigs pumped furiously on the far side of the river, Harding parted willow branches, peered into sand boils and scooped up shovelfuls of mud that he routinely said looked “promising — but maybe not.”

From Los Angeles Times