chairful

plural chairfuls · plural chairsful

1. A person (of a particular quality) that sits in a chair.

   Bialik pointed at him and murmured in my ear: "A chairful of Jew."

   1977, Maurice Samuel, The Worlds of Maurice Samuel: Selected Writings, page 222

   5 more examples

   Then came a mixed party, that increased the audience to twelve chairsful, and in the few moments that followed there was such a steady procession of boys and girls, that Tom literally had his hands full.

   1886 October 21, John Habberton, “Tom Meredith’s Tableaux”, in The Youth’s Companion, volume LIX, number 42, Boston, Mass.: Perry Mason & Co., page 394

   There will be no chairful of girlishness reading Bertha M. Clay, nor a rockerful of grandma knitting, nor a stoolful of big sister strumming " Forgotten."

   1929, Munsey's Magazine - Volume 96, page 436

   Whether you're talking to a chairful, a roomful or a nation full of people, the principles of human communication are the same.

   1968, Briton Hadden, Time - Volume 91, page 149

   If you practice in an exclusive area and have chairfuls of well-healed clients, this axiom probably does not apply.

   1981, Aldon J. Hilton, Winning the dental insurance game: operations manual, page 110

   A chairful of hot blonde had taken up residence, and over her giggles and squeals, Neil made sure to catch Sophia's eye.

   2014, Alice Clayton, Rusty Nailed, →ISBN, page 90

2. A quantity that fills a chair.

   When we got back to Dover Street, pacing the chairful of presents, that letter was awaiting us.

   2000, Leon Garfield, Jack Holborn, →ISBN, page 195

   3 more examples

   Garth, the collie, lay between them before the fire, his amber eyes only half-closed, except when in dreams he fought again his old battles ; and a chairful of cats and kittens slumbered peacefully.

   1936, Florence Robertson Cameron, Told in Furthest Hebrides

   My mother carded her own rolls and laid them across a chair till they piled up almost to the top of the chair-back, then put cards aside and spun the whole chairful of rolls.

   1942, William Edward Cox, Southern Sidelights, page 37

   Every home should have at least one corner that's all his . . . with a big, brawny chairful of solid comfort waiting just for him.

   1969, House and Garden - Volume 136, page 180

comparative more chairful · superlative most chairful

1. Chairlike or involving chairs.

   The "chairful” event took place in September.

   1989, The World: Journal of the Unitarian Universalist Association

   3 more examples

   "Good seating is essential to good health" said Doctor ERCOLion. "And for every seating eventuality Ercol have an effective prescription of the utmost chairful charm.

   1965, The Hospital and Health Services Review - Volume 61, page xv

   The most chairful of chairs are to be found in the smoking-rooms of clubs.

   1972, To-day - Volumes 5-7, page 15

   So plan on doing your own twisting and shouting at the "chair"ful event.

   1993, Arts - Volumes 16-17, page 11

2. pronunciation spellingPronunciation spelling of cheerful.

   Ah, go on now Masta Bones, with your impendements and your parrotricks ! Blank memory of darky in blued suit. You were ever the gentle poet. Be nice about it ! Look chairful !

   1929, Eugène Jolas, Transition: An International Workshop for Orphic Creation

   1 more example

   ...and they are in sich order that he has only to talk of the lock and the key to subdoo e'm in a minuet—poor creturs, them as I seed where chairful, and not one of them was wiping, they had plenty of vitals, and spoke of the Coloony as a nice place, and called the Guvenor a Darling—but it seems wretched work...

   1873, Theodore Edward Hook, The Choice Humorous Works of Theodore Hook, page 107