heelful

plural heelfuls · plural heelsful

1. As much as will cover a heel or a heel will displace.

   It took several dozen "heelsful," winding it round the gathering ball on the leg, as one would wind a ball of string.

   1869, Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia

   3 more examples

   Away the boy ran, never minding a stubbed toe or a heelful of thistles that waylaid his course, and, setting the broken fence-cap against a rail, came panting back.

   1973, Arthur W. Biddle, Paul A. Eschholz, The literature of Vermont: a sampler, page 185

   But people who dig in their heels frequently wind up digging their own graves behind them, heelful by heelful, as, in this hypothetical example, Johnson & Johnson climbs higher and higher.

   1987, Andrew P. Tobias, The Only Other Investment Guide You'll Ever Need, page 223

   "Gonna go clean it up, Mr. Barry," he chimes, and goes dancing back toward the bus, kicking up heelfuls of sand as he goes, with the flames of the fire reflected flickering on the back of his shiny, bald skull.

   2006, Zack Wentz, Garbageman And the Prostitute, page 110