Standard Lemma guide

shovelful

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The amount that can be moved at once with a shovel.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • One shovelful of dirt makes a molehill; a million shovelfuls make a mountain.
  • Two workers each had a shovelful of snow. There were two shovelsful of snow.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the quantity a shovel can hold

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: shovel, spadeful

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: containerful

History

Etymology

From shovel + -ful.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: palada — amount that can be moved with a shovel
  • Danish: skovlfuld — amount that can be moved with a shovel
  • Finnish: lapiollinen — amount that can be moved with a shovel
  • French: pelletée — amount that can be moved with a shovel
  • French: pellée — amount that can be moved with a shovel
  • French: pellerée — amount that can be moved with a shovel
  • Ido: shoveledo — amount that can be moved with a shovel
  • Irish: lán sluaiste — amount that can be moved with a shovel
  • Polish: łopata — amount that can be moved with a shovel
  • Polish: szufla — amount that can be moved with a shovel