brainful

plural brainfuls

1. As much as one person can think about or hold in mind at one time.

   A heartful of desire, man's natural load, A brainful of belief, the noble's lot,—

   1868, Robert Browning, The Ring and the Book, volume 2 (verse novel), Count Guido Franceschini, page 81, line 179; republished as The Poetical Works of Robert Browning: Volume VIII. The Ring and the Book, Clarendon Press, 2001, →ISBN, page 16

   4 more examples

   My only hope is that the memory of my real friendship for each one will blot out the recollection of the brainfuls of non-essentials which they were bidden to bear about with them, at least till the day of reckoning.

   1924, Elementary English - Volumes 1-2, page 249

   The truly literate person knows thousands of words, often in several different languages, and has absorbed from listening and reading and seeing (for example, on TV) a whole brainful of thoughts and facts that he can recall and think about.

   1957, Traffic World

   I can only usefully hold one brainful of detail at a time, and a thousand-line method contains way more than one brainful.

   2007, Kent Beck, Implementation Patterns

   His Philosophy in Exile course was a brainful. It kicked my ass, but unlike many of my classes, it didn't waste my time.

   2014, John Vorhaus, Poole's Paradise

comparative more brainful · superlative most brainful

1. Characterized by brain activity; cerebral.

   Fuck's sake. All this brainful red-pilling and you just trying to throw me off the trail again.

   2018, Gautam Malkani, Distortion

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   Stephens dubbed him, the Peter the Hermit of the tragic secession that drove to a head the great civil revolution, were of the brainful and dominant Scotch-Irish blood, and exemplified its traits and powers.

   1892, Scotch-Irish Society of America, The Scotch-Irish in America

   For it must ever be that the unconscious, dutiful, studious man, who ever strives to constantly replenish his mind through study, who follows sincerely the true function of his vocation , has within him the brainful power of obtaining the truest element of future reward.

   1897, The Railway Surgeon - Volume 3, page 12

   I happen to have met Mr. Carrados in the past and knowing how clever a gentleman he is I took the precaution of cutting the wires as soon as I guessed that he was likely to be busy. Always best with a gentleman so brainful.

   1934, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], The Bravo of London

   We are “brainful” until we realize it. Then we can become mindful, at least momentarily, because our frame of reference is now larger.

   2015, Joseph Emet, Mindfulness Meditation