shovelful

noun

shov·el·ful | \ˈshə-vəl-ˌfu̇l

plural shovelfuls\ˈshə-vəl-ˌfu̇lz

\ also shovelsful\-vəlz-ˌfu̇l

Definition of shovelful

: as much as a shovel will hold

Examples of shovelful in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Loosen the soil to 12 inches deep and add a shovelful of compost. — The Editors, Good Housekeeping, "How to Grow and Prepare Horseradish Straight From Your Garden," 27 July 2018 Loosen the soil to 12 inches deep and add a shovelful of compost. — The Editors, Good Housekeeping, "How to Grow and Prepare Horseradish Straight From Your Garden," 27 July 2018 Set the Posts The drill: Throw a shovelful of gravel in the bottom of each hole. — Ryan D'agostino, Popular Mechanics, "How to Make a Great Garden Fence," 24 May 2017 Loosen the soil to 12 inches deep and add a shovelful of compost. — The Editors Of Organic Life, Good Housekeeping, "How To Grow And Prepare Horseradish Straight From Your Garden," 10 Aug. 2017 After bringing up only a few shovelfuls of silver spoons and gold coins, Lawes quickly retreated and called the police and the local archaeological society. — Lorraine Boissoneault, Smithsonian, "A Search for a Lost Hammer Led to the Largest Cache of Roman Treasure Ever Found in Britain," 9 Jan. 2018 Members of the crew gingerly sifted through the rubble, pouring shovelfuls of debris through fine grates before discarding the rest into piles ringing the foundation of the home. — Sam Gross, USA TODAY, "Crews sift ruins for traces of wildfire victims," 15 Oct. 2017 Snow weighs from 7 pounds per cubic foot to an astounding 30 pounds per cubic foot, so one shovelful weighs 7 pounds to 45 pounds. — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "How to Choose the Best Snow Shovel," 15 Aug. 2017 Spring Valley Ranch is a story of a Texas pension fund that invested poorly, spent tens of millions of dollars without turning a shovelful of dirt, and left residents of Ada County to wonder: — Cynthia Sewell, idahostatesman, "A tale of two minicities: As Avimor thrives, $62 million spent next door goes to waste," 12 June 2017

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