What does saucerful mean?
A saucerful is the amount of food, liquid, or other material that can fit in a saucer. The word is formed transparently from “saucer” and “full,” so it describes a quantity rather than a serving in the formal culinary sense. A saucerful may contain soup, milk, gravy, or another liquid food, although the expression can also be used for loose materials such as coins or beads. Its use is generally neutral and practical, with a slight implication that the quantity is small because a saucer is a shallow dish. Although “saucerful” can sound humorous or old-fashioned in isolation, it remains natural in ordinary descriptions of quantities. It is especially useful where precision is unnecessary and the relationship to a familiar object is more vivid than a standardized measurement.
nounThe quantity of food, liquid, or other material that a saucer can hold.
- The amount that a saucer can hold.
"He poured a saucerful of gravy over the potatoes."
"The kitten lapped up a saucerful of milk."
"A saucerful of coins sat beside the till."
The plural is used when referring to multiple saucer-sized quantities.
"She emptied three saucerfuls of beads onto the tray."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does saucerful come from?
“Saucerful” is an English compound of “saucer” and the adjective “full,” meaning literally “as full as a saucer.” “Saucer” entered Middle English from Old French “sauciere,” a small dish, and is ultimately related to “sauce,” which comes through French from Latin. The compound developed as a convenient expression for a dish-based quantity.
How saucerful is actually used
Neutral and practical in register. It commonly describes a small quantity of food or liquid, but it can also refer to the amount of any material held by a saucer.