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fingernailful. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
fingernailful, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
fingernailful in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Etymology
From fingernail + -ful.
Noun
fingernailful (plural fingernailfuls or fingernailsful)
- (rare) Enough to be stored under one's fingernail.
1952, Meredith Willson, Who did what to Fedalia?, page 27:He hurried up the back stairs with the hot water, scooping up a fingernailful of frost off the window in the back hall where there wasn't any register.
1971 March 4, Pam Goldstein, “Students: Marijuana ‘Prevalent’ at Eastern”, in The Hartford Courant, volume CXXXIV, number 63, Hartford, Conn., page 50:He said, “A bag of heroin is about two little fingernailsful. […]”
1987, William Diehl, Thai horse, page 307:He scraped up a fingernailful and, holding it to a nostril, slowly inhaled it. He waited for another minute or two for it to take effect, then he scraped up another fingernailful and put it in his mouth and tasted it.
1988 December 29, Sandra Duveau, “Sneaking foods at holiday buffets”, in The Press-Tribune, page B-5:In the past, I would have eaten nine full-to-the-brim plates of her scrumptious savories — but just fingernailfuls this time.
2011, Stella Duffy, Singling Out The Couples:Timing in the offered fingernailful of cocaine, well cut and loose dropped into the hollow between my collarbones.