mouthful

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noun mouth·ful \ ˈmau̇th-ˌfu̇l \

Definition of mouthful

1 a :as much as a mouth will hold

b :the quantity usually taken into the mouth at one time

2 :a small quantity

3 a :a very long word or phrase

b :a comment or a statement rich in meaning or substance

See mouthful defined for English-language learners

See mouthful defined for kids

Examples of mouthful in a Sentence

It was a delicious meal. We enjoyed every mouthful.
His last name is a real mouthful.

Recent Examples of mouthful from the Web

Every mouthful should feel luscious, full, and most importantly, balanced—with equal parts smoke, sweet, and bitter, and with no flavor dominating another.

— katie chang, Vogue, "Where to Find the Best Mole Poblano in Mexico," 20 Aug. 2017
And under guidelines issued this month by China’s State Administration for Industry and Commerce, that’s a bit too much of a mouthful.

— ailin tang, The Seattle Times, "In China, your company’s name can’t be a mouthful," 18 Aug. 2017
Don't miss the Asian Style Arancini Siciliana, a mouthful to describe deep-fried risotto balls with pickled ginger in the filling, and a gentle wasabi mayo on the side.

— debbi snook, cleveland.com, "Collision Bend Brewing Co. in Cleveland's Flats (review, photos)," 4 Aug. 2017
In the case of safety Collin Jones, that led to a mouthful of turf.

— jourdan rodrigue, charlotteobserver, "Panthers rookie Christian McCaffrey is special, and Luke Kuechly already knows why," 28 July 2017
To gather enough krill for its massive size, the humpback whale lunges forward while opening its mouth to gather a giant mouthful of seawater.

— carrie arnold, National Geographic, "Rare Video Captures Never-Before-Seen Whale Behavior," 12 July 2017
For this roasted salmon recipe, finely chopping the walnuts, preserved lemon, and golden raisins gets them into every mouthful.

— anya tchoupakov, Bon Appetit, "22 Healthy Salmon Recipes That Make Us Swoon For Fish," 11 July 2017
One visitor that doesn’t require much searching through your lawnscape to see is called manyflower marsh pennywort, a mouthful of a common name for Hydrocotyle umbellata (hydro-coat-a-lee).

— kenneth setzer, miamiherald, "Weed’s tale: the beguiling marsh pennywort," 6 July 2017
Shovel them in by the mouthful or use them in your favorite recipes.

— idahostatesman, "Those fresh Oregon blueberries are perfect for this cake," 4 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mouthful.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of mouthful

15th century

mouthful Synonyms

Synonyms

bite, morsel, nibble, nugget, taste, tidbit (also titbit)

Related Words

collop, medallion, noisette; nosh, snack; appetizer, canapé, hors d'oeuvre; bit, chew, crumb, dab, dribble, driblet, fleck, hint, mote, nubbin, particle, pinch, scrap, scruple, shred, smidgen (also smidgeon or smidgin or smidge), snip, snippet, speck, spot, sprinkling, suspicion, tittle, touch, trace; dash, drop; lap, lick; gulp, swallow, swig

MOUTHFUL Defined for English Language Learners

mouthful

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noun

Definition of mouthful for English Language Learners

: as much as a mouth will hold
: a word, name, or phrase that is very long or difficult to say
: something said that has a lot of meaning or importance

MOUTHFUL Defined for Kids

mouthful

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noun mouth·ful \ ˈmau̇th-ˌfu̇l \

Definition of mouthful for Students

1 :as much as the mouth will hold

a mouthful of water

2 :the amount put into the mouth at one time

Dr. Ziemer was chewing a mouthful of his sandwich …
—Oliver Butterworth, The Enormous Egg

Take another mouthful.

3 :a word or phrase that is very long or difficult to say

Learn More about mouthful

See words that rhyme with mouthful Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for mouthful Spanish Central: Translation of mouthful Nglish: Translation of mouthful for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of mouthful for Arabic speakers

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mouthful

Definition of mouthful

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MOUTHFUL Defined for English Language Learners

mouthful

Definition of mouthful for English Language Learners

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