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thimbleful

[thim-buh l-foo l]
noun, plural thim·ble·fuls.
  1. the amount that a thimble will hold.
  2. a small quantity, especially of liquid.
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Origin of thimbleful

First recorded in 1600–10; thimble + -ful

Usage note

See -ful.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for thimbleful

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • Then, she asked for a thimbleful of brandy, drank it, and slowly wiped her lips.

    L'Assommoir

    Emile Zola

  • You have looked over this thimbleful of a house, and I hope it has pleased you.

    A Young Mutineer

    Mrs. L. T. Meade

  • She was about to take a thimbleful of rum as a solace for having her rest disturbed.

  • A thimbleful to moisten our tongues would have been worth its bulk in gold.

    Salt Water

    W. H. G. Kingston

  • Tim suggested that a thimbleful of rum would be mighty pleasant.

    The Three Admirals

    W.H.G. Kingston

British Dictionary definitions for thimbleful

thimbleful

noun
  1. a very small amount, esp of a liquid
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012