What does drawerful mean?
A drawerful is the amount of something needed to fill a drawer, or the contents of a drawer regarded collectively. It belongs to a productive family of English measure nouns formed with the suffix '-ful' — alongside spoonful, handful, cupful, and boxful — which allow speakers to quantify things loosely by the container they come in. The word is most often used informally and colloquially, especially when describing household clutter, keepsakes, paperwork, or clothing: a drawerful of socks, a drawerful of old photographs, a drawerful of unopened mail. Its connotations are everyday and domestic, sometimes carrying a hint of disorganization or sentimental accumulation. Though rarely found in formal writing, it is instantly understood and adds a vivid, concrete quality to descriptions of ordinary life.
nounThe amount that fills a drawer; as much as a drawer can hold.
- The quantity or amount that fills a drawer.
- The contents of a drawer considered as a group.
"She emptied the entire drawerful of receipts onto the table and began sorting them by year."
"He pulled out a drawerful of tangled charging cables he'd been meaning to organize for years."
"A drawerful of old love letters surfaced when they renovated the house."
The standard plural is 'drawerfuls'; 'drawersful' occurs occasionally but is less common.
"They sorted through three drawerfuls of childhood memorabilia."
English lets you measure almost anything in containerfuls — a drawerful is just one of dozens of '-ful' words that turn furniture into units of measurement.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of drawerful
Drawerful is formed transparently from the noun 'drawer' plus the suffix '-ful,' meaning 'as much as fills.' The word 'drawer' derives from the verb 'draw,' from Old English dragan, meaning to pull or drag — reflecting how a drawer is pulled open. The '-ful' suffix comes from Old English full. The compound follows a well-established English pattern of forming quantity words from containers, and such formations have been common since at least Middle English times.
How drawerful is actually used
Informal to neutral in register. Like other '-ful' measure nouns (spoonful, handful), it typically takes 'of' plus a noun: 'a drawerful of papers.' The plural is usually written 'drawerfuls,' though 'drawersful' occasionally appears in British usage.
Easily confused with drawerful
A drawer is the sliding compartment itself, while a drawerful is the quantity of contents needed to fill one.