Urnful

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A vessel filled to capacity with cremated remains or other materials that can be held within its confines
2. A container meant to hold ashes, frequently associated with memorial practices or funerary rites
3. An object designed to accommodate a substantial quantity of contents, often used in the context of ashes or decorative purposes

Etymology: "Urnful" is a plain compound: the noun "urn" with the suffix "-ful", the same ending found in words like "spoonful" and "handful." The suffix means "as much as will fill" the thing named, so an urnful is the quantity an urn can hold. Here the surprising part is the base word. "Urn" comes from Latin "urna," a jar or pitcher for water, and it was long used for ordinary vessels such as tea urns and water urns before it came to mean a vessel for ashes. The funerary sense is the one that stuck in everyday use, so the compound now most often refers to the remains of a cremated person.

Synonyms: full urn, urn capacity, urn load

Antonyms: empty urn, urnless