shovelful

plural shovelfuls · plural shovelsful

1. The amount that can be moved at once with a shovel.

   Two workers each had a shovelful of snow. There were two shovelsful of snow.

   3 more examples

   One shovelful of dirt makes a molehill; a million shovelfuls make a mountain.

   As to the fireman, the sight of him at work, swinging round with his shovelful of coal and at the same moment lightly depressing his right heel and so working the pedal which causes the steam-operated firedoors to open like magic in front of the shovel, was always a pleasure.

   1947 January and February, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 39

   The doors are at the right level for firing, which normally is down one side of the firebox at a time, unlike our own practice, which is to fire each side of the firebox with alternate shovelfuls.

   1961 February, 'Balmore', “Driving and firing modern French steam locomotives - Part One”, in Trains Illustrated, page 109