shovelful
noun
the amount held by a shovel.
shovelfuls
-
pluralof shovelful.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When fires broke out, flames could engulf an entire train car, forcing Woods to act quickly to contain the blaze with buckets of water and shovelfuls of sand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026
Rant for not taking a couple of extra shovelfuls of asphalt to fill the big pothole which is literally 2 feet from one of the intersections that were repaved as part of this project.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 2, 2022
Every day more solemn shovelfuls of dirt are poured into graves, and another shiva begins.
From New York Times ● Oct. 31, 2018
Brian Rodriguez, 22, of Moreno Valley, tried to pace himself as he heaved aside shovelfuls of leaves and chopped roots while humming to the tempo of Johnny Cash’s rendition of “John Henry.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2018
My job was to follow in his tracks, take shovelfuls of loose dirt and rocks and clumps of old crabgrass, toss everything into piles on my right.
From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña
