What does sackful mean?
A sackful is the quantity that can be carried in one sack. The expression is especially common in contexts involving grain, flour, fruit, or other materials traditionally stored in sacks, as in “a sackful of potatoes.” It can also be used more informally for a large amount, particularly of money, without suggesting that the amount can actually be divided into sack-sized portions. Although a sackful is not an exact measure, the word presents an unspecified quantity as something bounded and readily imaginable: one sack’s contents. This makes it useful in both practical descriptions and vivid informal speech. The plural is sackfuls, and articles agree with it in the usual way: “a sackful,” “two sackfuls.”
nounThe amount or contents contained in one sack. Informally, it can also mean a large quantity of something, especially money.
- The amount or contents of one sack.
- Informally, a large quantity of money or other things.
"The baker carried a sackful of flour from the storeroom."
"They emptied a sackful of potatoes onto the table."
"The robbery net the gang a sackful of cash."
The plural is regular and takes the usual article and verb agreement.
"The workers carried six sackfuls of grain."
A sackful turns an indefinite amount into something you can count—even if nobody knows exactly how much it holds.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sackful come from?
Sackful is an English compound formed from sack and full. The word sack was borrowed through Old English sacc from Latin saccus, a term for a large bag, while full ultimately derives from Old English fyll. The compound expresses the amount held by a single sack rather than a standardized unit of measurement.
Related word forms
How sackful is actually used
The literal sense is neutral. The sense meaning a large quantity of money is informal and often hyperbolic rather than precise.