Basketfuls

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A large quantity of items that can fill multiple containers designed with handles for carrying
2. A substantial amount or collection of things gathered or held together in various sized woven holders
3. An abundant supply or load that is capable of being transported in several woven receptacles designed for storage or transport

Etymology: "Basketfuls" is the plural of "basketful," a word built from "basket" and the suffix "-ful," which means "as much as will fill" something. The form comes from Middle English, where "basket ful" was written as two separate words, a pattern that matches how "-ful" nouns were formed at the time. The "basket" part traces back to a word for a woven container, and "-ful" turns that container into a unit of measure. So a basketful is whatever a basket can hold, and the plural "basketfuls" simply counts several of those loads. Because the amount depends on the size of the basket, the term never fixed a precise quantity, which is why it works just as well for a handful of apples as for a heap of laundry.

Synonyms: basketful