boatful

noun

boat·​ful ˈbōt-ˌfu̇l 

plural boatfuls also boatsful ˈbōts-ˌfu̇l 

: the number or amount held by a boat

… a little boatful of musicians and singers slipped out from the harbour …

—John Lehmann, The Whispering Gallery, 1955

The yellow perch of our lakes and rivers … swims in groups, or schools, of from a dozen to hundreds. Where you catch one, you'll catch a boatful.

—Gil Paust, Boys' Life, April 1968

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

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