shovelful
Americannoun
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See -ful.
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Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of shovelful
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.
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In almost all cases, it came down to inadequate thought and planning before the first shovelful of dirt was turned.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 7, 2023
Silliest thing in the world is standing there throwing a shovelful of dirt at a 80-foot flame, feel like a complete idiot, but enough shovelfuls, you'll put it out.
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2021
He carefully hauled out the bins, tipped them over and tossed piles of golden grain into his bison’s feeding pen by the shovelful.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 21, 2020
Siri Russell wiped away tears as she emptied a shovelful of dirt into one of the glass jars.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 7, 2018
The maid gave him a shovelful of coals.
From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham
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
Kneeling on the hard winter ground, the son cried again as shovelfuls of earth were thrown into the grave.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 20, 2023
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 ● May 22, 2023
They rose and covered Hussein with pieces of slate, and then the stones with shovelfuls of dirt.
From New York Times ● Aug. 27, 2021
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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
