full

▪ I. † full, n.¹ Obs.
    [OE. ful = OS. ful, ON. full, str. neut.; perh. originally the neuter of the adj.]
    A cup, goblet; a bumper.

Beowulf 616 Þa freolic wif ful ᵹe-sealde ærest Eastdena eþel-wearde. c 1000 Sax. Leechd. I. 88 Drince ðonne þreo ful fulle..nistiᵹ. c 1205 Lay. 14325 Oder uul me þider fareð..Þenne þat uul beoð icumen Þenne cusseoð heo þreoien.

▪ II. † full, n.² Obs. rare^—1.
    [Identical with Sc. fow (see quot. 1673 below) of which foose seems to be the plural, and fouat a derivative or compound.
    It is not clear whether Bullen's full is the original form (? from full a., with reference to the fleshy leaves), or due to his own conjectural identification of the n. fow with fow = full.]
    Houseleek.

1562 W. Bullein Bk. Simples (1579) 35 It is called Houslike..in the South parts of England, but in the North it is called Full. 1673 Wedderburn Vocab., Sedum majus, Fow.

▪ III. full, a., n.³, and adv.
    (fʊl)
    Forms: 1–7 ful, 3–5 fol(le, south. vol(le, 4–5 fulle, 6 Sc. fow, 8 Sc. fou, 1– full.
    [Com. Teut.: OE. full = OFris. fol, ful, OS. ful(l (Du. vol), OHG. fol(l (MHG. vol, mod.Ger. voll), ON. full-r (OSw. fuld-er, mod.Sw. full, Da. fuld), Goth. full-s:—OTeut. *follo-, fullo-:—OAryan *p{lcircbl}-nó, represented also in Lith. pilna-s, OSl. plŭnŭ; cf. also the synonymous Skr. pūrṇá, L. plēnus, OIr. lán, Welsh llawn(:—pre-Celtic *plāno-, plōno-), which though not formally identical contain the same root and suffix. From the Aryan root *pel-, pol-, -p{lcircbl}, and its extended forms plē-, plō-, etc. are derived many words expressing the notion of abounding, filling, etc., as Skr. puru, Gr. πολύς (see fele a.); Gr. πιµπλάναι to fill, πλήρης full, πλῆθος multitude, L. (com-, im-, op-, re-, sup-) plēre to fill, plūs more.
    In this and in several other words (Sievers Ags. Gr. §55), the OE. u represents WGer. o; when this is the case a labial consonant is almost always present, but the precise conditions have not been determined.]
    A. adj.
    1. a. Having within its limits all it will hold; having no space empty; replete. Const. of (in OE. with gen.) Often with intensive phrases, as full as an egg, full to the brim (see brim n.² 4 b), full to overflowing, full up (colloq.), etc. For advbl. phrase full mouth: see mouth.

a 1000 Judith 19 Þær wæron bollan steape boren..swylce eac bunan and orcas fulle flettsittendum. c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 193/45 A fat þare stod fol of baþe-water. a 1300 E.E. Psalter cxliii. 14 Cleues ofe þa fulle ere yhite [promptuaria eorum plena]. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 41 Heelde into þe hoole..hoot oile of roses.. til al þe wounde be ful. c 1483 Caxton Vocab. 12 Hit is of a fulle fatte. 1563 W. Fulke Meteors (1640) 56 The ignorant in Philosophy must be admonished, that all things are full, nothing is empty, for nature abhorreth emptinesse. 1590 Nashe Pasquil's Apol. i. C ij b, To preache to Gods people vpon a full stomach. 1597 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, ii. iv. 68 Can a weake emptie Vessel beare such a huge full Hogs-head? 1648 Gage West Ind. vi. 19 Filling them [boats] so fast and so full, that some sunke. 1694 Acc. Sev. Late Voy. ii. (1711) 175 When many Whales float on the Sea, they [birds] have their Bellies full. 1698 Fryer Acc. E. India & P. 112 A Board plastered over, which with Cotton they wipe out, when full, as we do from Slates. 1711 Budgell Spect. No. 77 ¶9 When he is playing at Backgammon, he calls for a full glass of Wine and Water. 1712 Arbuthnot John Bull iii. iv. 49 When she came into any full assembly. 1764 Foote Patron iii. Wks. 1799 I. 353 Full..As an egg. 1786 Burns Dream 131, I hae seen their coggie fou. 1823 Scoresby Whale Fishery 126 An ancient flying, a signal indicative in the whale fishery of a full-ship. 1866 G. Macdonald Ann. Q. Neighb. iii. (1878) 32 A few full sacks, tied tight at the mouth. 1870 L'Estrange Miss Mitford I. ii. 37 The coach was completely full. 1891 E. Peacock N. Brendon I. 131 All the stables were full. 1892 Daily News 18 Oct. 5/3 Because they [cemeteries] are full up..this additional one is required.

    b. Locutions in which full is in concord with a preceding n. denoting a receptacle are sometimes used transf. to signify either (1) the contents viewed with respect to quantity, or (2) a quantity equal to the capacity of the receptacle. In the latter of these applications, this usage is now almost superseded by the practice of forming derivatives ad libitum with the suffix -ful 2.

c 1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 268 Sele þonne cælic fulne to drincanne. c 1205 Lay. 1285 In þære sæ heo funden vtlawen..fifti scipen fulle. Ibid. 6470 A kene sweord and enne koker fulne flan. 1563 W. Fulke Meteors (1640) 52 He that hath seene an egges shell full of dew drawn up by the Sunne..in a May morning. 1884 G. Moore Mummer's Wife (1887) 179 A theatrefull of people.

    c. fig. (see 2 c); esp. of the heart: Overcharged with emotion, ready to overflow.

c 1300 Cursor M. 19404 (Edin.) Steuin of strenþe and godis grace was fillid ful in ilk a place. 1604 Shakes. Oth. v. ii. 175 Speake, for my heart is full. 1719 De Foe Crusoe i. i, His heart was so full, he could say no more. 1797 Mrs. Radcliffe Italian xii, My heart was never so full in my life.

    † d. Of an office: Occupied, not vacant. Const. of. Obs.

1574 tr. Littleton's Tenures 38 b, Where a villeyne purchasethe the avowson of a Church full of an incumbent. a 1734 North Lives (1826) II. 11 He laid his eye on the place of Chief Justice of Chester, which was full of Sir Job Charleton.

    e. Of an animal: Pregnant. Of a fish: Charged with roe. † full of (foal): big with.

a 1618 Rates Merchandize G i b, Hearings white, full, or shotten, the barrell viijs. iiijd. 1722 Lond. Gaz. No. 6120/4 A large Black Mare..very full of Foal. 1864 Mitchell Herring 114 If the herrings are assorted, namely, the full herrings (herrings full of milt and roe) separated from matjes (herrings with the milt and roe of a small size), and these separated from ‘ylen’, empty or shotten herrings, the fishery officer has authority to apply a brand with the word ‘full’ to the first, and the word ‘maties’ to the second description..in addition to the crown brand.

    † f. Having the outline filled in; solid, not open. full flower (= F. fleur pleine) = ‘double flower’.

1597 Morley Introd. Mus. Annot., There were..foure maners of pricking, one al blacke, which they tearmed blacke full, another which we vse now which they called black void, the third all red, which they called red ful [etc.]. 1683 Robinson in Ray's Corr. (1848) 137 It hath no full, or double flower. 1715 Desaguliers Fires Impr. 118 Make three openings in it..the space lm, which is 6 Inches wide, must be left full..leave qc open 6 Inches wide, bc and qy full, being of 6 Inches each.

absol. 1703 T. N. City & C. Purchaser 128 Let the Doors..be right over one another, that the void may be upon the void, and the full upon the full.

    2. a. Containing abundance of; plentifully charged, crowded. † Rarely const. with.

a 1000 Sal. & Sat. 174 (Gr.) Hateþ ðonne heahcyning helle betynan, fyres fulle. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 11 Engelonde is vol inoȝ of frut and ek of tren. 1340 Ayenb. 28 Þet corn..is uol of frut and al ripe. c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1288 A wrethe of gold..set ful of stones brighte. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 53 But if þe membre þat was brusid be ful of senewis, as þe hand ouþer þe foot. 1519 W. Horman Vulg. xxxi. 257 a, The fylde was strowed full of caltroppis. 1582 N. Lichefield tr. Castanheda's Conq. E. Ind. xl. 94 Great adders, which are very full of poison. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 341 Which the people take with boords bored full of holes. 1621 Lady M. Wroth Urania 229 As full of spite and ill nature as a Spider with poyson. 1737 Bracken Farriery Impr. (1757) II. 147 Some Horses will be too full of flesh. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 436 His bedchamber is full of Protestant clergymen. 1878 Smiles Robert Dick vii. 76 The sky was full of fire.

    † b. Formerly sometimes of a surface: Covered (with). Const. of. Obs.

1563 W. Fulke Meteors (1640) 36 b, The lidde will be all full of small drops of water. 1579 Gosson Sch. Abuse (Arb.) 54 We..turne him away with his backe full of stripes. 1583 Hollyband Campo di Fior 133 Here be the dice. How full of dust they be. 1657 R. Ligon Barbadoes (1673) 75 The rind of a pure ash colour, full of wrinkles.

    c. In non-material sense: Abounding (in), abundantly characterized (by). Const. of, occas. † with (in OE. with gen. or instrumental).

a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 1292 (Gr.) He..ᵹeseah unrihte eorðan fulle. c 1200 Ormin 1784 Crisstnedd þed..iss All full off haliȝdomess. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 110 Ouer ðat..An oðer heuene ful o blis. c 1320 Sir Tristr. 1917 A loghe þai founden made, Was ful of gamen and play. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 551 Þus may a man his bygynnyng se Ful of wrechednes and of caytifté. 1397 Rolls of Parlt. III. 379/2 He that hathe ever bene ful of mercy and of grace to all his lyeges. 1513 Douglas æneis iii. Prol. 13 Of uncouth dangeris this nixt buik hail is full. 1569 Turberv. Trag. T. etc. (1587) 199, I found him full of amours euery where. 1611 Bible Acts xiii. 10 O full of all subtilty and all mischiefe. 1650 Trapp Comm. Deut. vi. 12 Full with Gods benefits. 1682 Norris Hierocles 24 The fuller it is of labour & slavery. 1715 Lady M. W. Montagu Lett. (1837) II. 12 Your whole letter is full of mistakes. 1754 J. Shebbeare Matrimony (1766) I. 150 Mr. Sharply being retired, full with Self-applause of his deep Cunning. 1857 Ld. Houghton in Life (1891) II. xii. 18 M. Guizot is..full of political and literary gossip. 1878 Morley Carlyle Crit. Misc., Ser. i. 200 The Protestant cause remained full of vitality.

    d. a full man: (After Bacon) one whose mind is richly stored.

1597–8 Bacon Ess., Studies (Arb.) 10 Reading maketh a full man. 1868 Lowell Dryden Pr. Wks. 1890 III. 105 For, like Johnson, Burke, and the full as distinguished from the learned men, he was always a random reader.

    3. Engrossed with or absorbed in; fully occupied with the thought of (something). Now only with const. of. † Formerly also with that or inf.

1607 Fenton in Lismore Papers Ser. ii. (1887) I. 116 We are now so full to prouide for the daungers which the tyme doth threaten on all sides, that [etc.]. 1633 Bp. Hall Hard Texts 403 Those that are most full, and most conscious of their owne infirmities. 1657 R. Ligon Barbadoes (1673) 26, I could not go my self about it, being full of other business. 1669 Pepys Diary 24 Jan., The king seemed mighty full that we should have money to do all that we desired. 1737 Bracken Farriery Impr. (1757) II. 79 These Sort of Petit Maitres are so full of themselves, that they reject all wise Counsel. 1765 Reid Let. in Wks. I. 43/1 Your friend..was very full of you when he was here. 1853 Mrs. Carlyle Lett. II. 238, I am full of business, owing to the sudden movements. 1866 Alger Solit. Nat. & Man iii. 130 The lonely man, if full, is quite likely to be full of himself.

    4. a. Having eaten or drunk to repletion. (Cf. fou.) Also full of food, wine, etc. Now arch. (and vulgar).

c 1000 Ags. Ps. lviii[i]. 15 Gif hi fulle ne beoð [hi] fela gnorniað. 1382 Wyclif Acts ii. 13 Thei ben ful of must. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 229 And he schal not, whanne he is ful, slepe anoon þerupon. 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 290 Full of wine, and intoxicated with Bacchus berries. 1583 Hollyband Campo di Fior 43 Hast thou no liste to eat? Art thou full? 1611 Bible Prov. xxvii. 7 The full soule loatheth an honie combe. 1710 Swift Jrnl. to Stella 7 Dec., I..have eaten cold pie..and I am full. 1737 Ramsay Scot. Prov. (1776) 33 He's unco fou in his ain house that canna pike a bane in his neighbour's. 1787 ‘G. Gambado’ Acad. Horsemen (1809) 26 Horses full of grass are very subject to scourings. 1875 G. W. Dasent Vikings III. 176 So they ate and drank and drained the mead-horn once more, and, when they were all full, they made a raft.

    b. Having one's needs or appetite satisfied; having ‘had one's fill’ of anything. Obs. exc. in the Hebraisms full of days, years, children.

c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 103 Heo [Auaricia] is helle iliche, forðon þet hi ha habbeð unafillendliche gredinesse, þet hi nefre ne beoð fulle. c 1230 Hali Meid. 39 Upo hwas nebschaft þe engles ne beoð neauer fulle to bihalden. 1382 Wyclif Job xlii. 17 He diede old, and ful of daȝis. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. Ded. ¶iij, An example of Jacob, an old man, and ful of yeres. 1611 Bible Ps. xvii. 14 They are full of children. 1715 Tickell Iliad i. 292 Full of Days was He; Two Ages past, he liv'd the Third to see. 1852 Thackeray Esmond i. ii, The first Viscount Castlewood died full of years.

    c. † Sated, weary of (obs.). Similarly in 19th-c. colonial slang, full up (of).

1297 R. Glouc. (1724) 32 Heo [Regan] was al ful of hym [Lear] er þe ȝeres ende. c 1320 R. Brunne Medit. 993 Ȝyf ȝe be ful of my der sone. c 1477 Caxton Jason 21 Anone..ye shal be wery and full of her. 1555 W. Watreman Fardle Facions App. 322 He maye waxe full of the lawe, and vtterly contempne it. 1603 Holland Plutarch's Mor. 418 The Athenians being full of him, tooke pleasure to raise slanders and contumelious reproches of him [Themistocles]. 1611 Bible Isa. i. 11, I am full of the burnt offerings of rammes. 1625 Bacon Ess., Masques, The Alterations of Scenes..feed and relieue the Eye, before it be full of the same Obiect. 1890 Boldrewood Miner's Right xxiii. 213 She was ‘full up’ of the Oxley..a rowdy, disagreeable gold⁓field. 1891 E. Reeves Homeward Bound 33 The men..get tired, or as the colonial slang goes, ‘full up’, soonest.

    d. as full as a tick (see tick n.¹). Also, in this and similar comparisons, extremely drunk. Austral. and N.Z. slang.

1892 Dialect Notes I. 210 Full as a tick, drunk. 1915 Bulletin (Sydney) 11 Mar. 44/2 We both got full as ticks. 1930 Ibid. 2 Apr. 51/4 ‘I met Mace down at Cafferty's,’ he told his father... ‘Full as an egg, and inclined to be nasty!’ 1947 P. Newton Wayleggo (1949) ix. 103 By the time the dance was under way I was as ‘full as a bull’ and ripe for anything. 1949 D. M. Davin Roads from Home i. v. 74 Wasn't he in here this afternoon and as full as a tick? 1960 N. Hilliard in C. K. Stead N.Z. Short Stories (1966) 237, I noticed he was full as a bull in no time.

    † 5. Abounding in wealth; amply supplied with means; also in weaker sense, having sufficient for one's needs. Obs.

1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. ii. iii. 74 b, To have a new [emperor] ful, and ready to give. 1611 Bible Phil. iv. 18, I haue all, and abound. I am full. 1681 W. Robertson Phraseol. Gen. (1693) 651 He is a full man, omnium rerum affluentibus copiis ditatur. 1683 Salmon Doron Med. i. 118 Of the Poor and Needy no recompence can be expected, as of the Rich and Full.

    6. a. Abundant, amply sufficient, copious, satisfying, satisfactory. Said both of material and immaterial things.

c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Luke vi. 38 Syllað and eow byþ ᵹeseald God ᵹemet and full. 1052–1067 Charter of Eadweard in Cod. Dipl. IV. 211 Ic wille habban fullne dom of ðam menn. a 1300 Cursor M. 9560 His witherwin him wroght ful wa. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 37 Of þese mundificatyves þou schalt have a ful techinge in þe laste tretis. 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 342 note, He had full experience and proofe of his qualities in freendship. 1630 R. Johnson's Kingd. & Commw. 53 Of diets..that of Germany is full, or rather fulsome. 1638 Baker tr. Balzac's Lett. (vol. III.) 9 Thus I doe but tast of that whereof you make full meales. 1655 Stanley Hist. Philos. i. (1701) 31/2 They who want means Believe themselves of full estates possest. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. ii. 756 The falling Mast For greedy Swine provides a full Repast. 1707 Floyer Physic. Pulse-Watch 316, I want a full Experience in these low Pulses. 1732 Berkeley Alciphr. ii. §7 Suppose you saw a fruit of a new untried kind; would you recommend it to your own family to make a full meal of? 1884 Church Bacon ii. 29 He turned his studies to full account.

    b. Of an account or report, hence of a writer, etc.: Complete or abundant in detail.

1656 Denham Destr. Troy Pref., Where my expressions are not so full as his. 1662 Stillingfl. Orig. Sacr. i. ii. §8 They who were so famed for wisdom and antiquity, should be able to give a full and exact account of themselves through all the ages of the world. 1712 Berkeley Pass. Obed. Wks. III. 139, I have endeavoured to be as full and clear as the usual length of these discourses would permit. 1845 Graves Rom. Law in Encycl. Metrop. 778/1 For the basis of his Greek text, Contius took, as the best and fullest, the edition of Scrimger. 1866 Ld. Blackburn in Hurlstone & Coltman's Rep. IV. 275 The case is reported..by Lord Raymond, whose report is the fullest. 1871 Freeman Hist. Ess. Ser. i. iv. 90 We might have expected him [Roger] to be very full on that part of his history. 1882 C. Pebody Eng. Journalism xx. 152 You will find in its columns all the latest and fullest telegrams from every part of the world. 1884 Sir E. E. Kay in Law Times Rep. 26 Apr. 257/2 The audience are quite at liberty to take the fullest notes they like for their own personal convenience.

    7. a. Complete, entire, perfect. † (to be) in full will to: quite ready, eager to. Also full point, full stop, for which see those words.

O.E. Chron. an. 917 Þa land leode..ᵹebrohton hie on fullum fleame. a 1000 Boeth. Metr. xxi. 8 Sece him eft hræðe fulne friodom. c 1205 Lay. 29047 We wulleð mid þe uehten mid fullere strenðen. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 2611–2 Þe bodys sal..outher þan have full ioy togyder, Or ful sorow. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 22 Þei were..in fulwille to suffre..for þe love of ihesu Crist. 1399 Rolls of Parlt. III. 424/1 Whiche States..gafen hem full auctorite and power. 1417 E.E. Wills (1882) 28 This testament is my volle & hole wille. 1551 Recorde Pathw. Knowl. ii. xlii, Foure longsquares..and one full square. 1563 W. Fulke Meteors (1640) 17 Seen only in the morning and evening, when the light of the Sunne is not in his full force. 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 240 Taking a view of ourselves by this looking glasse to make full and just account. 1582 N. Lichefield tr. Castanheda's Conq. E. Ind. lxxvi. 156 b, He gaue them for ful answere, that [etc.]. 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. v. i. 399 We shall make full satisfaction. 1622 Sparrow Bk. Com. Prayer (1661) 313 For our fuller perswation of this. 1631 Gouge God's Arrows iv. xiii. 391 In his time the Gospell shined out in her full brightnesse. 1638 Baker tr. Balzac's Lett. (vol. III.) 115 When a comely personage comes in place..you shall have all husht..onely to take a full view. 1652 C. B. Stapylton Herodian ii. 21 To make the matter full, there souldiers came Unknown unto Perennus. 1669 Sturmy Mariner's Mag. i. 20 That the Prize may receive our full Broadside. 1701 Swift Contests Nobles & Com. Wks. 1755 II. i. 33 Entering the scene in the time of a full peace. 1717 tr. Frezier's Voy. S. Sea 14 When it was full Day [we spy'd] a very high Land. 1732 Berkeley Alciphr. i. §5 We assured him, he was at full liberty to speak his mind. 1822–34 Good's Study Med. (ed. 4) II. 132 Full vomiting..has also been very advantageously employed. 1838 Thirlwall Greece III. xx. 131 They received each a full suit of armour. 1843 Lefevre Life Trav. Phys. I. i. i. 10, I was introduced to him in full form. 1845 P. Parley's Ann. VI. 36 White batenbrier often in full flower. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 439 When he declared himself a Roman Catholic, he was in full possession of his faculties. 1849 R. T. Claridge Cold Water-cure (1869) 211 The rabbit is now in full health and vigour. 1874 Green Short Hist. iv. §4 192 A seven years' apprenticeship formed the necessary prelude to full membership of any trade-gild. 1875 Fortnum Majolica xii. 113 The Gubbio fabrique was in full work previous to 1518.

    b. Answering in every respect to a description; possessed of all the qualifications, or entitled to all the privileges implied in a designation. full brother, full sister: born of the same father and mother (opposed to half-brother). full man: see quot. 1867.

O.E. Chron. an. 1036 He wæs þæh full cyng ofer eall Engla land. 1508 Kennedie Flyting w. Dunbar 33 Belzebub thy full brothir will clame To be thyne air. 1570 Bury Wills (Camden) 156 Agnes my wyfe I doo ordeine and make my full executrix. 1604 Shakes. Oth. ii. i. 36 For I haue serv'd him, and the man commands Like a full soldier. 1606 ― Ant. & Cl. iii. xiii. 87 One that but performes The bidding of the fullest man. 1634 Canne Necess. Separ. (1849) 238 Their deacons are not to administer the sacraments, neither any of those which are full priests, but according to a popish liturgy. 1738 Swift Corr. Wks. 1841 II. 803 He proved the fullest rogue..in either kingdom. 1760 R. Heber Horse Matches ix. 143 Chub is full brother in blood to Mirza. 1810 Naval Chron. XXIII. 94 The term ‘full passenger’ is explained..Every person above 16 years of age falls under that description. a 1825 Fair Annie xxxi. in Child Ballads iii. lxii. (1885) 73/2 ‘Then I'm your sister, Ann’, she says, ‘And I'm a full sister to thee’. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Full man, a rating in coasters for one receiving whole pay, as being competent to all his duties; able seaman. 1883 American VI. 125 Mr. Frank Holl has been elected a full Royal Academician. 1891 D. Macrae G. Gilfillan 78 One full sister of Dr. Anderson and three full brothers died in youth. 1894 Doyle S. Holmes 148 A gallant veteran, who started as a full private.

    † c. Of a foe: Avowed, open. Of a friend: Thorough, trusty. (Cf. entire 3 c.) Obs.

972 Will of ælflæd in Birch Cartul. Sax. III. 603 Þæt he beo..min fulla freo[n]d & forespreca. c 1275 Passion 174 in O.E. Misc. 42 Þer him cumeþ iudas, Þat is my fulle i-vo. a 1300 Cursor M. 14780 Þai him held þair ful fa. c 1374 Chaucer Troylus i. 1059 Pandarus..desirous to serve His fulle freend, than seyde in this manere.

    8. a. Complete in number, quantity, magnitude or extent; reaching the specified or usual limit. Of the moon: Having the disc completely illuminated; cf. full moon. Of the face, or front: Entirely visible to the spectator; advb. phr. (in) full face. full pay (see quot. 1867).

c 1000 ælfric Gen. l. 10 Ðar hiᵹ wæron seofon daᵹas fulle. a 1123 O.E. Chron. an. 1013 Bead þa Sweᵹen full ᵹild. Ibid. an. 1031 Whenne þæt flod byþ..ealra fullost. Ibid. an. 1106 Wæron ᵹesewen tweᵹen monan..beᵹen fulle. c 1205 Lay. 1632 Fulle seouen nihte heo somenede cnihtes. c 1315 Shoreham 45 So thes beth ordres folle sevene. c 1350 Will. Palerne 2745 At þe fulle flod þei ferden to sayle. c 1410 Chron. Eng. 416 in Ritson II. 287 Ahte ant tuenti folle yer. 1463 Bury Wills (Camden) 16 Alle other that hath take the ful ordir of preesthod. c 1477 Caxton Jason 76 b, The whiche deyde assone as it was born for it had not his full time. 1535 Coverdale 1 Chron. xxii. 22 For y⊇ full money shalt thou geue it me. 1599 W. Cuningham Cosmogr. Glasse 98 Whan as the mone unto the world..shining with face both full and round. 1610 Shakes. Temp. i. ii. 250 Thou did promise To bate me a full yeere. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 401 And over ten thousands, which made a full regiment. Ibid. 740 One of their ships..happened to strike on a great Whale with her full stemme. 1648 Gage West Ind. xii. 43 To visit Mexico (which was not two full miles from us). 1655 Stanley Hist. Philos. (1701) 38/2 He lived to a full Age, about Seventy Years, or (following the account of Suidas for his Birth) Eighty. 1671 Milton P.R. i. 287, I knew the time Now full, that I no more should live obscure. 1700 S. L. tr. Fryke's Voy. E. Ind. 6 The full and regular pay begins only after they are passed the Tonnen. 1701 Lond. Gaz. No. 3756/15 Irish Usquebagh..to be sold in full Quart Bottles. 1702 Addison Dial. Medals Wks. 1721 I. 538 The head of a Roman Emperor drawn with a full face. 1710 In full Front [see front n. 5 b]. 1715 Lond. Gaz. No. 5351/3 He will be..pleased to allow Full-Pay to such Half-Pay Officers. 1723 Sir R. Blackmore Hist. Conspiracy 36 His Lieutenant Colonel, Major, and Captains, being named, and the Troops almost full. 1742 Lond. & Country Brew. i. (ed. 4) 11 The Flour of the Grain will remain in its full Quantity. 1750 Beawes Lex Mercat. (1752) 250 When the Sea is full, the Admiral hath Jurisdiction there. 1753 Scots Mag. Feb. 100/1 The moon was..full. 1784 Herschel in Phil. Trans. LXXIV. 262 Measure..of the polar diameter 21{pp} 15{ppp} full measure, that is, certainly not too small. 1805 T. Lindley Voy. Brasil (1808) 102 A concert of sacred music was performed by a full band, with vocal parts. 1817 W. Selwyn Law Nisi Prius (ed. 4) II. 1252 The plaintiff shall have full costs. 1853 Kingsley Hypatia xxix. 360 There Philammon waited a full half-hour. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. 355 The muster was not a very full one. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Full pay, the stipend allowed when on actual service. 1876 Voyle Milit. Dict. 153 Full Charges, in artillery, are the ordinary charges used with rifled projectiles. 1876 Humphreys Coin Coll. Man. vi. 54 The head of Apollo on the gold coin..appears in full face. 1895 M. R. James Abbey St. Edmund at Bury 51 At top is Christ in a mandorla seated full-face with a book.

    b. Of an assembly, council, etc.: One from which none or few of the members are absent.

1557 Order of Hospitalls C iv, Item That no Lease, alienation..be..done, of Lands or Tenements except at a Full Court. 1604 Shakes. Oth. iv. i. 275 Is this the Noble Moore, whom our full Senate Call all in all sufficient? 1834 Wallace in Mackintosh Hist. Rev. p. viii, He..kept the academic senate waiting for him in full conclave. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. 78 James..in full council declared it to be his pleasure that [etc.].

    † c. Of a point in the compass: Exact, due (east, etc.). Cf. C. 3 b. Obs. rare.

1630 R. Johnson's Kingd. & Commw. 77 The Island is situated almost full North. Ibid. 122 On the full East doe the Alps divide it [France] from Italie.

    d. In various phraseological combinations: as full flood, full sea, full tide (lit. and fig.) indicating the greatest height of the water, or the time when it is highest. Also full tide, used attrib. and as adv. full summer: the height of summer. Cf. B. 4 b.

c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 5174 It was full se. Ibid. 5178 And so it was full flode. 1574 Bourne Regiment for Sea 7 b, The Moone dooth make a full Sea at that place. 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 395 Thinke you..that your ebb is so lowe, that you are never like to have a ful tyde? 1648 J. Beaumont Psyche xiv. 83 Although the courteous Sun With free and ful-tide Raies about it flows. 1699 W. Dampier Voy. II. i. 16 Not so swift near full Sea as at other times. 1708 S. Centlivre Busie Body ii. ii, Such Swi-m-ing in the Brain..carries many a Guinea full-tide to the Doctor. 1845 G. Murray Islaford 78 Fortune's full-tide flowing Shall bring him back to me. 1865 Trollope Belton Est. i. 5 It was full summer at Belton. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Full sea, high water. 1875 W. M{supc}Ilwraith Guide Wigtownshire 140 The surf breaking over the rock at full flood. 1887 Spectator 25 June 859/2 At this Jubilee-time, when the whole nation is in the full tide of rejoicing.

    9. a. Possessed of, delivered with, or exerting the utmost force. † with a full arm, full eye, full mouth, full soul: with the utmost strength of (the arm, etc.).

c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 86/93 Loude he gradde with folle Mouth. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xvii. 392 He..toke hym wyth a full arme..in lyke wyse in maner of wrastelyng. 1509 Barclay Shyp of Folys (1570) 99 It neuer loketh on man with eyes full But euer his heart by furious wrath is dull. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon lxvii. 230 Whom so euer he strake a full stroke neded after no surgyon. 1583 Hollyband Campo di Fior 121 Was better fixed in the memorie..if I did speake with a full voice. 1609 Bible (Douay) Isa. ix. 12 The Philisthims..shal devoure Israel with ful mouth. 1610 Shakes. Temp. iii. i. 44 For seuerall vertues Haue I lik'd seuerall women, neuer any With so full soule, but [etc.]. 1632 J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Eromena 28 Rush't into the chamber..and..thrust at him a full stocada. 1634–5 Brereton Trav. (Chetham) 124 Presently favouring us..with a full gale of wind. 1657 R. Ligon Barbadoes (1673) 29 Bread..has not here that full taste it has in England. 1694 Acc. Sev. Late Voy. ii. (1711) 38 If in a brisk Gale of a full Wind the Sails are all full and Round. 1700 S. L. tr. Fryke's Voy. E. Ind. 207 The Javians set up a full Huzza. 1783 J. C. Smyth in Med. Commun. I. 142 Pulse 68, full and strong. 1805 T. Lindley Voy. Brasil (1808) 21 His pulse full and regular.

    b. Of light: Intense. Of colour: Deep, intense.

1657 R. Ligon Barbadoes (1673) 66 These leaves being..of a full green. 1664 Power Exp. Philos. i. 26 View her with a full light transmitted through a Burning-glass. 1791 Hamilton Berthollet's Dyeing I. i. i. i. 19 The colour of the wool will be much more full and intense. 1842 Tennyson Locksley Hall 17 In the spring a fuller crimson comes upon the robin's breast. 1869 Phillips Vesuv. xi. 303 Under the application of heat, amounting to a full red in iron.

    c. In various phraseological combinations: as full butt, full cry, full drive, full gallop, full jump, full pack, full pelt, full pitch, full retreat, full sail, full scent, full speed, full stretch, full swing, full tilt, etc.: for which see the words.
    10. a. Having a rounded outline; large, swelling, plump, protuberant.

c 1000 Sax. Leechd. III. 268 Ealle eorþlice lichaman beoþ fulran on weaxendum monan. 1577 B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. iii. (1586) 115 The hoofe that is ful and fleshy, is not to be liked. 1627 Capt. Smith Seaman's Gram. xi. 54 The longer a ship is, the fuller should be her Bow. 1674 N. Cox Gentl. Recreat. ii. (1677) 178 A round Head, somewhat full on the top. 1688 Lond. Gaz. No. 2320/1 This Sultan Soliman is of a long, lean and pale Visage, with a full black Eye. 1697 W. Dampier Voy. I. iii. 32 Full round Faces, small black Eyes..full Lips, and short Chins. Ibid. vi. 131 It is a high bluff, or full point of Land. 1698 Fryer Acc. E. India & P. 53 Where we took in fuller and larger Pepper than any yet. 1726 Adv. Capt. R. Boyle 125 The Women..fine large full Eyes, round Faces, and every Feature exact. 1803 Med. Jrnl. IX. 36 In proportion as the patient was full, robust and vigorous. 1840 Miss Mitford in L'Estrange Life (1870) III. vii. 109 She is..full enough to prevent the haggard look which comes upon women who grow thin at fifty. c 1850 Rudim. Navig. (Weale) 152 Its use is to take out the snying edge occasioned by a full bow. 1894 J. E. Humphrey in Pop. Sci. Monthly XLIV. 494 The fruit is cut as soon as it is ‘full’.

    b. Of portions of dress: Containing a superfluity of material which is arranged in gathers or folds.

1789 Mrs. Piozzi Journ. France I. 306 White silk petticoat, exceedingly full and short. 1824 Miss Mitford Village Ser. i. (1863) 213 An open gown..whose very full tail..would have formed an inconvenient little train. 1862 C. M. Yonge Stokesley Secret ii. 42 Alpaca frocks, rather long and not very full. 1891 Leeds Mercury 27 Apr. 4/7 Velvet sleeves, full and high on the shoulders.

    11. Naut. (with mixed notion of 1 and 10). Of a sail: Filled. Of the ship: Having her sails filled with wind; and in phrase keep (her, i.e. the ship) full. full and by: see by adv. 1 d; also fig. full for stays: see quot.

1627 [see by adv. 1 d]. 1697 Occasional Conformity 10 'Tis like a Ship with her Sails hal'd some back, and some full. 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1789) Z z iij, You are all in the wind; keep her full! 1805 Adm. Stirling in Naval Chron. XV. 80 We..had our main-top-sail full. 1838 Poe A. G. Pym Wks. 1864 IV. 15 We..kept full, and started boldly out to sea. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Full for Stays! The order to keep the sails full to preserve the velocity, assisting the action of the rudder in tacking ship. 1882 Nares Seamanship (ed. 6) 148 When the fore sail is full, ‘Let draw’. 1930 New Statesman 5 July 412/1 And, take it full and bye, it is one of the very few things to be honoured in our nature.

    12. Comb. a. with ns. forming combinations used attrib.; as full-cream, full-draught, full-dug, full-hand, full-page, full-plate, full-power, full-scale, full-size, full-term, full-top, full-value, full-way, full-weight.

1881 Chicago Times 16 Apr., The *full-cream cheese manufactured in the states of Wisconsin and Illinois.

1856 Kane Arct. Expl. II. iii. 46, I have manufactured a *full-draught pipe for our smoky stove.

1852 Meanderings of Mem. I. 79 Where *full-dug foragers at evening meet In Cow-bell concert.

1593 Nashe Christ's T. 22 The..profuse sacrificatory expences of *ful-hand oblationers.

1889 Spectator 14 Dec. 849 We may select for notice the *full-page illustrations of ‘Dundee’ and ‘Stirling’. 1911 A. Bennett Card xi. 245 The only hotel in the Five Towns seriously pretending to be ‘first-class’ in the full-page advertisement sense. 1954 M. Richert Painting in Brit.: Middle Ages iv. 81 The few uncoloured full-page miniatures which precede a copy of the gospels.

1884 F. J. Britten Watch & Clockm. 108 A *full plate watch has a top plate..of a circular form.

1890 Times 18 Sept. 4/2 The Skipjack..left Sheerness yesterday for the *full-power official trial of her machinery.

1933 Discovery Aug. 257/1 *Full-scale experiments in flight are of necessity difficult and take a long time. 1957 Times Lit. Suppl. 20 Dec. 778/1 Since Alexander Henderson..there has been no full-scale monograph on the wines of antiquity.

1832 in A. Adburgham Shops & Shopping (1964) iv. 40 *Full-size Paper Patterns. 1957 Times Survey Brit. Aviation Sept. 7 A full-size mock-up of the Vanguard's cockpit.

1907 W. J. Maloney tr. Budin (title) The nursling: the feeding and hygiene of premature and *full-term infants. 1949 M. Mead Male & Female viii. 179 They smother in economic details the memory of their miscarriages, as if these had been full-term children.

1723 Lond. Gaz. No. 6206/9 He is..pale fac'd, a *full-top Wig.

1896 Daily News 31 Mar. 9/3 Any *full-value gold pieces in circulation will have to be called in.

1882 Worc. Exhib. Catal. iii. 49 Excelsior *full-way hot water valves. 1884 Knight Dict. Mech. IV, Full Way Valve, a pipe valve which lifts entirely out of the current. Also called a clear-way valve.

1866 Crump Banking x. 234 The Bank..would supply new and *full-weight coin.

    b. with pres. and pa. pples. forming combinations in which full stands as a complement; as full-built, full-charged, full-crammed, full-farced, full-fed, full-flowering, full-flowing, full-fraught, full-freight, full-freighted, full-gorged, full-made, full-opening, full-pulsing, full-resounding, full-stuffed, full-swelling; also full-feeding vbl. n.

1709 Lond. Gaz. No. 4510 The Hoy Burthen 9 or 10 Tun, very *full built forward.

1613 Shakes. Hen. VIII, i. ii. 3, I stood i' th' leuell Of a *full-charg'd confederacie. 1827 Keble Chr. Y. 1st Sund. in Lent, Thy full-charg'd vial standing by.

1613 Wither Satir. Ess. ii. ii. P j a, Emptying their *full cram'd bags. 1879 Huxley Hume i. 56 Unknown to this full-crammed and much-examined generation.

1578 Timme Caluine on Gen. 189 The place..so *full-farssed and stuffed up.

1593 Shakes. Lucr. 594 The *full-fed hound or gorged hawk, Make slow pursuit. 1887 Spectator 5 Mar. 320/1 We..have a notion that full-fed authors do bad work.

1382 Wyclif Gen. xli. 20 Other seuen oxen..the whiche..no merke of *fulfedyng Ȝouun. 1577 St. Aug. Manual (Longm.) 12 The place of fulfeedyng by the plentifull running streames.

1821 Keats Lamia i. 44 The taller grasses and *full-flowering weed.

1605 Shakes. Lear v. iii. 74 Lady I am not well, else I should answere From a *full flowing stomack. 1832 Tennyson Œnone 67 While I look'd And listen'd.. the fullflowing river of speech Came down upon my heart.

c 1606 Fletcher Woman Hater i. ii, His tables are *full fraught with most nourishing food.

1694 Echard Plautus 103 I'll teach her how t' act..and send her *full-fraight with my Tricks. 1740 Somerville Hobbinol iii. 356 A full-freight Ship, Blest in a rich Return of Pearl, or Gold.

a 1711 Ken Hymnotheo Poet. Wks. 1721 III. 319 His *full-freighted Thought, Back on his Tongue, Hymn and Heroick brought.

1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. iv. i. 194 She [my Faulcon] must not be *full gorg'd, For then she neuer lookes vpon her lure. 1781 Cowper Hope 509 The full-gorged savage.

1790 Pol. Misc. 58 With *full-made sleeves and pendant lace.

1730–46 Thomson Autumn 421 The pack *full-opening various.

1878 Morley Carlyle 189 No feeling for broad force and *full-pulsing vitality.

1737 Pope Hor. Epist. ii. i. 268 Dryden taught to join the *full-resounding line.

1613 Drayton Poly-olb. xiv. 118 When twixt their burly Stacks and *full-stuft Barnes they stand.

1748 Thomson Cast. Indol. i. 297 Each spacious room was one *full-swelling bed.

    c. parasynthetic, as full-bagged, full-banked, full-bellied, full-bloomed, full-blossomed, full-bosomed, full-bowed, full-brained, full-busted, full-buttocked, full-cheeked, full-chested, full-clustered, full-eared, full-feathered, full-flanked, full-fleshed, full-flocked, full-foliaged, full-formed, full-fortuned, full-fronted, full-fruited, † full-gaskined, full-haired, full-handed, full-happinessed, full-haunched, full-headed, full-hipped, full-jointed, full-leaved, full-licensed, full-limbed, full-lipped, full-measured, full-minded, full-natured, full-necked, full-paunched, full-personed, full-powered, full-proportioned, full-rayed, full-rigged, full-roed, full-sailed (lit. and fig.), full-shouldered, full-sized, full-skirted, full-souled, † full-speeched, full-sphered, full-statured (lit. and fig.), full-stomached, full-streamed, full-throated, full-timed, full-toned, full-tushed, full-uddered, full-voiced, full-weighted, full-whiskered, full-winged, full-witted, full-wombed.

1613 Drayton Poly-olb. xiv. 227 The *full-bagd Cow. 1630 J. Taylor (Water P.) Wks. 15 No full bag'd man would euer durst haue entered.

1622 Drayton Poly-olb. xxviii. 205 Many a *full-bankt Flood.

1681 Lond. Gaz. No. 1638/8 Stolen..a dark Brown Nag..pretty *full-bellied, and reasonable fat. 1909 Daily Chron. 2 June 5/6 The full-bellied barges of 600 tons freightage. 1937 N. Coward Present Indicative viii. 333 A full-bellied roar of laughter.

1646 Crashaw Steps to Temple 21 Lo! a mouth, whose *full-bloom'd lips At two deare a rate are roses.

1840 Longfellow Sp. Stud. i. iii, The *full-blossomed trees filled all the air with fragrance.

1603 Drayton To Maiestie K. James A iv, The fruitfull and *ful-bosom'd Spring.

1883 Harper's Mag. Aug. 376/2 The *full-bowed schooners lean over on the beach at low tide.

1596 C. Fitzgeffrey Sir F. Drake (1881) 26 Whose *ful-braind temples deck't with laurell crowne.

1864 Tennyson En. Ard. 539 Her *full-busted figure head Stared o'er the ripple feathering from her bows.

1672 Lond. Gaz. No. 657/4 A Bay Mare..with..a black List down the Buttock, and *full Buttockt.

1686 Ibid. No. 2145/4 Elizabeth Tildel..short and black, *full-cheek'd. a 1711 Ken Preparatives Poet. Wks. 1721 IV. 92 It chanc'd, just as the full-cheek'd Moon Reach'd her nocturnal Noon.

1681 Lond. Gaz. No. 1620/4 A black brown Gelding..short Neck, *full Chested.

1645 Quarles Sol. Recant. vii. 19 *Full clusterd Vineyards.

1635 ― Emblems i. ii. Epig. 2 A *full-ear'd Crop, and thriving. 1845 Mrs. Norton Child of Islands (1846) 107 Whose mass of full-eared sheaves the reapers bind.

1806 T. S. Surr Winter in Lond. (ed. 3) II. 254 Barton is a *full-feathered pigeon.

1612 Drayton Poly-olb. iii. 298 Many a plump-thigh'd moor & *ful-flank'd marsh.

1832 Motherwell Poet. Wks. (1847) 48 In *full-fleshed pride, Bright roses burst in June.

1622 Drayton Poly-olb. xxvi. 38 The large, and goodly *full-flockd Oulds.

1807–8 W. Irving Salmag. (1824) 187 The whispers of the *full-foliaged grove fall on the ear of contemplation.

1727–46 Thomson Summer 823 The *full-formed maids of Afric.

1606 Shakes. Ant. & Cl. iv. xv. 24 Th' Imperious shew Of the *full-Fortun'd Cæsar.

1895 Daily News 20 Mar. 7/1 A *full-fronted coat.

1853 Hickie tr. Aristoph. (1872) II. 543 Shaking the *full-fruited chaplet about your head.

1682 Lond. Gaz. No. 1768/4 A white grey Roan Gelding..well Crested..*full gascoign'd.

1689 Ibid. No. 2513/4 A grey Mare..only gallops and trots, and a *full haired bob Tail.

1643 [Angier] Lanc. Vall. Achor 35 Mercies..have been granted..with *full-handed favours.

1815 Lamb. Lett. (1888) I. 294 My *full-happiness'd friend is picking his crackers.

1685 Lond. Gaz. No. 2019/8 Stolen..a brown bay Nag..*full Haunched, and small Bodied.

1816 Keatinge Trav. (1817) I. 152 *Full-headed trees..have been left at judicious intervals.

1882 O'Donovan Merv Oasis I. 343 The..slovenly-looking *full-hipped tunic.

1688 Lond. Gaz. No. 2355/4 A dapple grey..*full jointed in both his hinder Legs.

1630 Drayton Muses Elysium 199 With *full leav'd lilies I will stick Thy braided hair. 1864 G. M. Hopkins Poems (1948) 131 Now while the full-leaved hursts unalter'd stand. 1917 J. Masefield Lollingdon Downs 74 The full-leaved summer bore no fruit.

1883 Goole Weekly Times 14 Sept. 5/3 To be let, the ‘Royal Oak Inn’.. a *full-licensed House.

1859 Tennyson Guinevere 43 Those whom God had made *full-limb'd and tall.

1859 Bagehot in National Review IX. 383 Lancelot, the great knight of many exploits and *full-lipped enjoyment. 1932 E. Hemingway Death in Afternoon ix. 244 He had a full-lipped face.

a 1711 Ken Hymnarium Poet. Wks. 1721 II. 114 God oft makes Thunder, Lightning, Storm, Hail, Snows, Pour on full-measur'd Sin, *full-measur'd Woes.

1627–77 Feltham Resolves i. xxxiv. 58 To be poor, is to be made a pavement for the tread of the *full-minded man.

1823 Lamb Elia Ser. ii. Child Angel, Those *full-natured angels tended it by turns.

1670 Narborough Jrnl. in Acc. Sev. Late Voy. i. (1694) 59 They are *full-necked, and headed and beaked like a Crow.

1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1658) 332 To be ministered..when the horse is not altogether *full-panched, but rather empty.

1873 Howells Chance Acquaint. i. 14 The *full-personed good-humored looking gentleman.

1742 Young Nt. Th. ii. 317 To-day is yesterday return'd..*Full-pow'r'd.

1631 Weever Anc. Fun. Mon. 762 Two *full proportioned figures in brasse.

1879 Geo. Eliot Coll. Breakf. P. 762 *Full-rayed sensibilities which blend Truth and desire.

1830 N. S. Wheaton Jrnl. 342 A *full-rigged [French] bagage waggon is a curious spectacle. 1884 E. Ingersoll in Harper's Mag. May 869/2 Full-rigged foreign ships.

1895 Daily News 26 Jan. 5/5 The *full-roed Norway herrings.

1594 Nashe Unfort. Trav. A 3 Mercenarie attendants on his *ful-sayld fortune. 1622 Drayton Poly-olb. xix. 178 Arthur's full-sail'd Fleet. 1629 Massinger Picture ii. ii, Such is my full-sailed confidence in her virtue. 1808 J. Barlow Columb. i. 623 The fullsail'd ship..Dash'd into fragments by the floating rock.

1838 Dickens O. Twist xxxix, A *full-sized wine-bottle carefully corked.

1689 Lond. Gaz. No. 2416/4 A *full skirted Leather Saddle.

1882 Ogilvie, *Full-souled, magnanimous; of noble disposition.

1692 Lond. Gaz. No. 2809/4 Timothy Phillips..*full speech'd, in a light grey..Suit..went away..with a..Sum of Money.

1833 Tennyson Poems 84 *Fullsphered contemplation.

1691 Lond. Gaz. No. 2631/4 A Black named Johanna..*full Statured. 1844 Mrs. Browning Lady Geraldine's Courtship lxvii, And my soul..sprang, full-statured in an hour.

1593 Nashe Christ's T. 63 Grosse *full-stomacht tautology. 1611 Tourneur Ath. Trag. ii. i. Wks. 1878 I. 40 The full-stomack'd Sea.

1593 Nashe Christ's T. 38 b, Hearing riche London was the *full-streamed wel-head. 1806 J. Grahame Birds Scot. 72 And joins, with opened banks, the full-streamed Clyde.

1820 Keats Ode to Nightingale 10 Thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees..Singest of summer in *full-throated ease.

1889 Daily News 5 June 6/7 Just preceding or at the time of her death she had been delivered of a *full-timed child.

1827 Keble Chr. Y. SS. Simon and Jude, Mild As evening blackbird's *full-ton'd lay.

1611 Cotgr., Miré..long-tusked, *full-tushed, as a full-growne Boare.

1727–46 Thomson Summer 222 The *full-uddered mother lows around The cheerful cottage.

1632 Milton Penseroso 162 There let the pealing organ blow, To the *full-voiced quire below.

1888 Daily News 5 Oct. 5/2 The Bank of Germany does not refuse *full-weighted gold to those who can demand it.

1838 Dickens Nich. Nick. xvii, Such a *full-whiskered dashing young man.

1611 Shakes. Cymb. iii. iii. 21 The *full-wing'd Eagle. c 1630 Drummond of Hawthornden Poems Wks. (1711) 41/1 Full-winged argoses. 1957 Bannerman Birds Brit. Isles VI. 251 There has been a mixed flock of full-winged snow and blue geese at Woburn for fifty years at least.

1884 American VIII. 251 Any *full-witted American.

1630 Drayton Noah's Flood 34 The *full-womb'd Women very hardly went Out their nine months.

    d. Special comb.: full-back (Football), position in the field behind the other ‘backs’; a player in this position; also attrib.; † full-belly, one who has or makes a point of having his belly full; full board, (a) [board n. 2 d] Austral. and N.Z., a full complement of shearers on the board; (b) the provision of a bed and all meals: an arrangement offered by hotels, boarding houses, etc.; full-bodied a., having a full body (esp. of wine: see body n. 25); also fig.; full-bound a. Bookbinding, bound entirely in leather; full-breasted a., having a full breast; also transf.; full-brimmed a., full to the brim, overflowing; full-cell process, Bethell's process (cf. Bethell); full-centre arch [Fr. arc à plein-cintre] (see quot.); full character (see quot.); † full-charge v., to charge to the full (cf. full-charged in 12 b); full-choke, a gun or gun-barrel with the maximum amount of choke-boring; full-circle adv., with the form of a full circle or disc; full-cream attrib., consisting of or made from unskimmed milk; full employment (see quot. 1948); full-eyed, † (a) perfectly visible; seen in the front; (b) having full eyes; full-flavoured a., having a full or strong flavour (said esp. of cigars); also fig.; full-forward, in Australian National Football, one of three players (esp. the centrally positioned one) who constitute the front forward line and stand closest to the opposing goal; full-front v., to present a full front to; full-frontal attrib. phr., (a) full-frontal nudity, complete nudity, in which a person's body is seen from the front; cf. frontal a. 2 c; (b) fig., that reveals everything or holds nothing back; explicit, unequivocal; open, honest; full hand Poker = full house 2; full-mouth, (a) one whose mouth is full (of words), a chatterer; also attrib. = full-mouthed; (b) a full-mouthed animal; full-orbed a. poet. (of the moon), having its disc completely illuminated; also fig.; (hence full-orbedness); full pitch, toss Cricket, a ball pitched right up to the batsman; also as advb. phr., without the ball having first touched the ground; so full-pitched a.; full professor orig. U.S., a professor with the highest ranking position on the staff of a university or college; full score Mus., a score in which the parts for all voices and instruments are given on separate staves; full snipe, a popular name for the common snipe, Gallinago gallinago; † full-trussed a. (of a horse), having full hind-quarters; full word Linguistics, a word that has an independent meaning; also attrib.; spec. in Chinese Grammar (see quot. 1954).

1887 Shearman Athletics & Football 324 Last but not least comes the *full back..Two things only are required of him, that he should be an admirable and accurate drop, and a safe and strong tackler. 1893 A. H. Harrison in Assoc. Football Handbk. 18 Let the full-backs keep close to their halves. 1896 Daily News 29 Oct. 9/4 A splendid little bit of full-back work.

1637 R. Humfrey tr. St. Ambrose i. 30 Lazy lubbers, and *full bellyes, drowned in worldly delights.

1894 E. Wilson In Land of Tui xv. 242 At one side [of the shearing shed], down the whole length of the building, the shearers work, thirteen of whom are called a ‘*full board’. 1910 Bradshaw's Railway Guide Apr. 1149/2 Very comfortable rooms from 3/-, and full board from 7/6. 1941 Baker N.Z. Slang v. 39 The use of board for the floor of a shearing shed is also slang. Whence comes a full board. 1971 Oxford Mail 11 Oct. 11/4 (Advt.), Accommodation urgently reqd for daughter aged 15. North Oxford preferred, bed and breakfast or full board.

1686 Lond. Gaz. No. 2162/4 He is about 21 years of age..broad-shoulder'd, *full-bodied. 1688 R. Holme Armoury ii. 336/2 A Bleke..is a full bodied little Fish..with red eyes. 1710 J. Clarke Rohault's Nat. Phil. (1729) 177, I put in a Quart of full-bodied Red Wine. 1835 Willis Pencillings I. ix. 60 It is a ripe, rich, full-bodied liquor. 1890 Standard 10 Mar., To the full-bodied humour of..Hogarth.

1880 J. W. Zaehnsdorf Art of Bookbinding 171 When the sides and back of a volume are covered with leather it is said to be *full-bound. 1946 H. Whetton Pract. Printing & Binding xxxi. 381 The book may be full-bound..that is, the leather may fully cover the boards.

1611 Speed Theat. Gt. Brit. (1614) 125/1 A provident and *full-breasted mother. 1657 R. Ligon Barbadoes (1673) 51 The men, they are..full breasted, well filletted. 1677 A. Yarranton Eng. Improv. 120 Our Wheat is large, full-brested, and thin-rined.

1622 Drayton Poly-olb. xxix. 110 Two faire and *full-brim'd Floods. a 1845 Hood To Mrs. Fry xiii, I like the pity in your full-brimmed eye.

1915 H. F. Weiss Preserv. Struct. Timber v. 57 The Bethell or *full-cell process is considered the standard process of treating timber with creosote. 1940 H. Trotter Man. Indian Forest Utiliz. ix. 202 The full-cell process has been known for over 80 years. 1962 Full cell process [see Bethell].

1874 Knight Dict. Mech., *Full-centre Arch, a semi⁓circular arch or vault. One describing the full amount of 180°.

1863 J. Edkins Gram. Chinese Lang. (ed. 2) ii. iii. 105 They call significant words..*full characters, while the auxiliary words or those which are non-significant, they term..empty characters.

1766 Spry Locked Jaw in Phil. Trans. LVII. 89, I now..several times *full-charged her with the electric matter.

1881 W. W. Greener Gun 387 A *full choke is constricted to the extent of 30 to 40,000ths of an inch. 1892 ― Breech-loader 134 The 16-bore full⁓choke, with barrels 30 inches in length. 1895 Outing (U.S.) XXVII. 65/1, I have ruined too many fine birds with the full-choke to want to use it any more. 1964 H. L. Peterson Encycl. Firearms 52/1 Full chokes are used for long-range shooting, modified chokes or cylinder bores for upland birds and skeet shooting.

1879 Browning Pheidippides 39 The moon, half-orbed, is unable to take *Full-circle her state in the sky!

1881 *Full-cream [see full a. 12 a]. 1929 Punch 8 May p. viii, Fresh, full-cream milk. 1970 Guardian 14 Apr. 10/3 We needed full cream milk powder for the babies.

1835 J. Loudon Philanthropy 107 If the self same cause which gives cheap food, gives *full employment to labour [etc.]. 1846 Ld. Beauvale in C'tess of Airlie Lady Palmerston (1922) II. xvi. 102 By God's blessing there is full employment with high wages. 1940 Economist 20 Jan. 88/1 Optimistic assumptions of the effect that the attainment of ‘full employment’ will have on the revenue. 1948 G. Crowther Outl. Money (ed. 2) v. 138 ‘Full employment’ does not necessarily mean that every man and women has a job. It means only that there are no more supplies of idle labour or idle capital of the sorts that are actually being demanded.

1633 G. Herbert Temple, Glance iii, What wonders shall we feel when we shall see Thy *full-ey'd love. 1688 Lond. Gaz. No. 2318/4 One of the persons a little Man, full eyed, in a cinnamon colour'd Coat.

1891 Duncan Amer. Girl in Lond. 231 A very frank and *full-flavoured criticism.

1965 Austral. Encycl. IV. 135 The *full-forward of each team, in particular, is chosen for his ability to take the ball high in the air. 1969 Sun-Herald (Sydney) 13 July 48/1 Hawthorn full-forward Peter Hudson kicked five goals although heavily guarded by Essendon's defenders.

1855 Browning Saul, Perfection, no more and no less, In the kind I imagined, *full-fronts me.

1970 Private Eye 22 May 5/3 Despite outraged reaction from..the Scottish establishment..*full frontal nudity in the theatre will soon strike north of the border for the first time. 1971 New Scientist 4 Feb. 272/1 Full frontal facts of life for the pre-pubertal child..is fair enough. 1976 R. Quirk in Style & Communication in Eng. Lang. (1982) vii. 92 It could even be argued that dictionaries are now merely pandering to current waves of full-frontal fashion. 1984 Times 18 Dec. 17/1 The Chancellor of the Exchequer made a full frontal attack on the Bank of England's competence.

1850 Bohn's Handbk. Games 382 *Full hand. 1950 Hoyle's Games (ed. 20) i. 118 With Full Hands the higher threes win, e.g. 3 threes and 2 fours are better than 3 twos and pair aces.

1589 Greene Menaphon (Arb.) 54 Some propheticall *full mouth. 1646 Crashaw Music's Duel 156 A full-mouth Diapason swallowes all. 1950 N.Z. Jrnl. Agric. Oct. 351/1 No sheep are carried beyond full mouth; at this age the cast ewes are disposed of privately. 1959 S. J. Baker Drum ii. 111 Full-mouth, an eight-tooth sheep.

1667 Milton P.L. v. 42 Now reigns *Full-orbed the moon. 1851 Mayne Reid Scalp Hunt. xxxiv. 260 The moon, full-orbed, is sweeping up towards the zenith. 1871 R. B. Vaughan Life Thomas Aquinas II. 644 The steady full-orbed revelation of Jesus Christ.

1895 United Presbyt. Mag. 259 We confess to the impression that he lacks somewhat of *fullorbedness.

1843 ‘Wykehamist’ Pract. Hints Cricket 15 The player being enticed to play to it as to a *full-pitch. 1895 H. G. Hutchinson P. Steele i. 29 One or two [balls] went over the wicket altogether, and were taken, full pitch, by the wicket-keeper. Ibid., He..sent..ball after ball full-pitched. 1929 Full-pitch [see carry v. 9 b].

1934 J. W. Burgess Reminisc. Amer. Scholar iii. 42 The faculty of the college was at that time a strong body of teachers, most of them being *full professors of long experience and high standing. 1947 Partisan Rev. XIV. 474 The academic hierarchy, from instructor up to full professor, enforces caution on the imaginative or adventurous thinker. 1966 P. Green tr. Escarpit's Novel Computer ix. 116 Statisticians..do a numerical break-down of the full professors..and various other species of academic fauna. 1971 Nature 4 June 275/1 Even Berkeley is only able to boast that two per cent of its full professors were women in 1970.

1876 Stainer & Barrett Dict. Mus. Terms, *Full score. 1946 Penguin Music Mag. Dec. 15 Purcell never saw an Italian opera... He may just possibly have read a full score—we know that Pepys possessed one.

1885 F. S. Mitchell Birds Lancs. 185 Common Snipe... Local names.—*Full Snipe, Lady Snipe. 1887 A. C. Smith Birds Wilts. 431 The provincial names of these three species accurately describe their relative size; the Jack or Half Snipe weighing about 2 ozs., the Common, Whole, or Full Snipe 4 ozs., and the Great or Double Snipe 8 ozs. 1913 H. K. Swann Dict. Eng. & Folk-Names Brit. Birds 90 The Common Snipe is also sometimes termed Full Snipe to distinguish it from the Jack (or Half) Snipe. 1965 Jrnl. Lancs. Dial. Soc. Jan. 15 Snipe,..full snipe, scape snipe: Heywood.

1826 Manch. Guardian 5 Aug. 4/3 Barker, the Nottingham bowler,..so far lost his temper, as to give a *full toss, as we thought, at the face of the player, instead of his wicket. 1906 A. E. Knight Compl. Cricketer iii. 113 Over-pitch the ball and it presents the easiest of full tosses.

1683 Lond. Gaz. No. 1846/4 A *full trust Nag, a good Trot, short Rack.

1892 H. Sweet New Eng. Gram. I. 22. §58 When a form-word is entirely devoid of meaning, we may call it an empty word, as opposed to *full words such as earth and round. 1929 Grattan & Gurrey Our Living Lang. 98 Words which have an independent meaning of their own. These are known as Full-words. 1933 Bloomfield Lang. xii. 199 The parts of speech [in Chinese] are full words and particles. 1934 Priebsch & Collinson German Lang. iii. 249 Other full-word suffixes are -bar, -haft. 1954 Pei & Gaynor Dict. Linguistics 78 Full word, in Chinese grammar, any word which expresses a concept or idea or designates a person, object, quality, etc.—i.e., verbs, substantives and adjectives. 1966 J. E. Buse in C. E. Bazell In Memory of J. R. Firth 53 Full-words consist of a single free morpheme..with or without one or more of the following affixes.

    B. quasi-n. and n.
    1. The adj. used absol., passing into n. In various adverbial phrases. a. at (the) full: † (a) In various uses, now chiefly expressed by the other phrases below: Fully, completely; at full length; to the full extent (obs.). (b) At the position or moment of fullness; in the state of fullness (cf. 4 c).

c 1340 Cursor M. 4008 (Trin.) But who so god helpe wol May sauely go at þe fol. c 1380 Wyclif Church & Members Sel. Wks. III. 347 Lord! where he were not charged at the fulle as apostlis weren. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xv. cxxvii. (1495) 536 A penne maye not wryte at full the praysynge of this kyngdom. 1413 Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton 1483) iv. xxxii. 81 They ben wel ioynted and myghtely boned so that they ben strong at the fulle. 1563 Homilies ii. Agst. Gluttony (1859) 299 They that use to drinke deeply and to feed at full. 1632 J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Eromena 171 Satisfying..the rest of his demands at full. 1662 Gerbier Princ. 35 Eight Foote in length, being at full the space which the Horse doth possess when..he lyeth stretcht on his Litter. 1667 Milton P.L. i. 641 His regal state Put forth at full. 1705 Hearne Collect. 22 Nov., Giving his Reasons at full. 1742 Young Nt. Th. v. 878 He drops his mask; Frowns out at full. 1790 Burke Fr. Rev. 66 The power of the house of commons..is..great; and long may it be able to preserve its greatness..at the full. 1874 J. T. Micklethwaite Mod. Par. Churches 186 Having certain jets turned on at full.

    b. in († the) full: (a) with reference to a statement, etc.: At full length, in extenso; (b) Of payments, receipts, etc.: To the full amount. in full of: in full discharge or satisfaction of. † a leg in the full: one that is plump and well rounded.

1552 J. Caius Sweating Sickness 4 A woorke of Erasmus..I dyd geue..not in the ful as the authore made it, but abbreuiate. 1602 Marston Ant. & Mel. iii. Wks. 1856 I. 36, I have a good head of haire..a legge, faith, in the full. 1679–88 Secr. Serv. Money Chas. & Jas. (Camden) 35, 37li 5s 9{supd}, in full of a former bill for that service. 1704 J. Pitts Acc. Mahometans 23 The Cause..may be for not paying in full to two or three Shillings. 1741 Richardson Pamela II. 368 To assign her Five Hundred Pounds, in full of all her Demands upon her Family. 1754–62 Hume Hist. Eng. (1806) IV. liv. 177 Eight hundred and fifty pounds a day, in full of their subsistence. 1781 Cowper Convers. 201 A satisfactory receipt in full. 1879 Law Rep. 14 Q. Bench Div. 814 A sufficient sum to pay the trade-creditors of my aforesaid sons in full. 1885 Manch. Exam. Nov. 3/2 Reproducing in full instead of simply summarising the..documentary material.

    c. to the full (also † to full): to the utmost extent, completely, fully, quite. Also † to satiety.

1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xxi. 413 May no..presiouse drynkes Moyst me to þe fulle. c 1430 Freemasonry 682 The angele Gabryelle, Wol kepe hem to the ful welle. 1577 St. Aug. Manual (Longm.) 114 Although I cannot do it to the full in this lyfe: yet let me profite from day to day untill it may come to the full. 1611 Bible Exod. xvi. 3 When we did eate bread to the full. 1628 Gaule Pract. Theorists Paneg. 60 Done, Done to full, whatsoe're he came to doe. 1648 Gage West Ind. xxi. 190 We thought our money had satisfied them..to the full. 1701 Penn in Pa. Hist. Soc. Mem. IX. 53, I must expect my right to the full. 1798 G. Washington Lett. Writ. 1893 XIV. 73 To keep them out of it; or which is to the full as likely, to direct them into another course. 1885 L'pool Daily Post 1 June 5/4 The University match promises to illustrate to the full the delightful uncertainty of cricket.

    2. a. = fill n.¹ 1. Now rare.

1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. vi. 266 Arise vp ar appetit haue eten his fulle. 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1658) 187 If they eat Walnuts (and not to their full) unripe. 1648 Gage West Ind. xiii. 76 Here is now enough, drink thy full of it. 1862 Merivale Rom. Emp. (1871) V. xliv. 281 These flies, he said, have nearly sucked their full. 1874 G. W. Dasent Tales fr. Fjeld 152 Tom Toper had eaten his full. Ibid. 178 They had all stared their full.

    † b. The quantity that fills (a receptacle). Obs. [app. evolved from -ful 2.]

1799 Spirit Publ. Jrnls. (1800) III. 7 The full of his hat is the standard of his corn measures.

    3. Complete scope, entire range; entire amount or sum total; completeness, fullness. † In adverbial phrase, all the full: in all its fullness or completeness (obs.). Now rare.

c 1330 Arth. & Merl. 8433 What þou se al þe fulle, Wiche socour don we schulle. c 1400 Destr. Troy 13855 When the freike had the fulle of xvtene yeres. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. (1812) I. 689 They shulde playnly shewe the full of his entencyon and mynde. 1592 Daniel Delia Poems (1717) 409 Her tender Bud doth undisclose That Full of Beauty, Time bestows upon her. 1670 Cotton Espernon i. ii. 49 The Lords of Guise had the full of their own demands. 1720 De Foe Capt. Singleton x. (1840) 172, I should not be able to recollect the full..of the great variety. 1734 W. Snelgrave Guinea & Slave Trade 55 Afterwards we experienced the full of what he told us. 1843 J. H. Newman Apologia (1864) 358 With my opinions, to the full of which I dare not confess. 1890 W. C. Russell Ocean Trag. II. xix. 134 Sleeping as he did, right in the ‘eyes’, he got the very full of the motion.

    4. a. The period, point, or state of the greatest fullness or strength.

1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. vii. lxix. (1495) 287 One manere medicyne nedyth in the begynnynge of the euyll, and a nother in the fulle, and a nother in passynge therof. c 1400 Destr. Troy 12560 [The] stones at the full of the flode [were] flet all aboue. 1611 Speed Hist. Gt. Brit. vii. xxxi. 317 Empires..haue their risings, their fuls, and their fals. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 399 Their [the Romanes'] Empire was growing to the full. c 1621 S. Ward Life of Faith (1627) 97 Whiles he was..in the full of his prosperity.

    b. Of a month or season: The height, the middle.

1658 Evelyn Fr. Gard. (1675) 143 The perfect season to sow Melon-seeds, is in the full of february. 1855 Browning Another Way of Love i, June was not over Though past the full. 1858 Motley Corr. (1889) I. 327 The highest circles of London in the full of the season.

    c. the full of the moon (also ellipt. the full and in phr. at full): the period or state of complete illumination of the moon's disc.

c 1386 Chaucer Frankl. T. 341 Thanne shal she [the moon] been euene atte fulle alway. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. v. lviii. (1495) 174 Beestes and trees haue passynge plente of humours and of marowe in the fulle of the mone. 1559 W. Cuningham Cosmogr. Glasse 149 Before the Full, and after the change, she shineth presently, the sonne being set. 1598 Yong Diana 309 The fuls and wanes of the Moone. a 1652 Brome Queene's Exch. ii. i. Wks. 1873 III. 473 Bright Cynthia in her full of Lustre. 1664 Butler Hud. ii. iii. 262 He made an Instrument to know If the Moon shine at full or no. 1686 Plot Staffordsh. 431 The Paschal Moone, whose Full fell..next after the Vernal Equinox. 1720 De Foe Capt. Singleton vii. (1840) 123 The moon was near the full. 1794 Trans. Soc. Arts XII. 245 Every full and change of the moon. 1818 M. G. Lewis Jrnl. W. Ind. (1834) 28 She is to be at her full to-morrow. 1840 Dickens Barn. Rudge i, The moon is past the full, and she rises at nine.

fig. 1590 Nashe Pasquil's Apol. i. C, Heere his wit is at the fullest, and presentlie it beginneth to wane againe.

    5. The full grasp (of the hand).

1833 Regul. Instr. Cavalry i. 59 The bridoon rein..to be held in the full of the bridlehand.

    6. crown fulls: Herrings of the best brand (see quot. 1864 in A. 1. e).

1892 Berwick Advertiser 16 Sept. 3/6 Not a single barrel of crown fulls has been branded this summer.

    † 7. A set (of kettles). Obs. (? Another word.)

1466 Mann. & Househ. Exp. 206 My mastyr paid..for iij. kettelles calde a ffulle, iij.s vj.d. 1502 Arnolde Chron. (1811) 237 Fullis off ketellis redy bownde, the full, at iij.s'. iiij.d'. 1528 Sir R. Weston in Dillon Calais & Pale (1892) 91 Item, of every fulle [printed fulte] of kettles j{supd}. 1660–1 Newcastle Merch. Advent. (Surtees) 202 Railph Fell..petitioned for a full of battery seized on.

    C. adv.
    1. Simply intensive: Very, exceedingly. a. with adjs. of quality. Now only poet.

c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xi. §1 Maneᵹe beoþ þeah æᵹþer ᵹe full æþele ᵹe full weliᵹe and beoþ þeah full unrote. c 1000 Ags. Ps. (Th.) lxxxviii[i]. 3 [4] Ic..ᵹeworhte ful sefte seld, þæt hi sæton on. a 1200 Moral Ode 75 in Trin. Coll. Hom. 222 Heuene and erðe he ouersihð his eien beð ful brihte. c 1300 Cursor M. 21061 (Edin.) Ful elde [quen þat] he seich his endedai him neiȝand neich. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 309 Ȝee, ful deer breþeren. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 110 Þese boonys in oon partie ben ful hard. c 1420 Sir Amadace (Camd.) xxvii, Sir Amadace toke leue atte alle, Un-semand with fulle glad chere. 1450–1530 Myrr. our Ladye 7 Praye for oure right poure and full wretched soulle. 1461 Paston Lett. No. 416 II. 51 To my full worshipfull..maister. 1482 Inv. of W. Pelle (Somerset Ho.) The Full Reverend Fadur in God John Archepysshop of Canterbury. a 1550 Christis Kirke Gr. i. iii, Fou ȝellow ȝellow wes hir heid. 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. viii. 17 Came hurtling in full fierce. 1613 Shakes. Hen. VIII, i. i. 133 Anger is like A full hot Horse. 1640 J. Dyke Worthy Commun. 56 Full faine wilt thou be to have Christ Jesus to receive thy soule. 1741 Richardson Pamela I. 70 And I suppose too, she'll say, I have been full pert. 1869 J. Ingelow Lily & Lute ii. 104 O, full sweet, and O, full high, Ran that music up the sky.

    b. with adjs. of quantity or indefinite numerals. Now only arch. in full many.

a 1300 Cursor M. 17288 + 39 Ful litel while it was þat he in ioy wald bee. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. C. 18 For þay schal comfort encroche in kyþes ful mony. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 40 Fulle fo [printed so] frendes he had. c 1400 Mandeville (1839) xviii. 198 In that Lond is full mochelle waste. c 1450 Mirour Saluacioun 1278 [She] lete falle fulle many a tere. 1477 Norton Ord. Alch. Proem in Ashm. (1652) 10 Full few Clerks. 1557 North Gueuara's Diall Pr. * ij a, Gen. Prol., Q iv b, Ful few are the pleasures which Princes enioy. 1750 Gray Elegy xiv, Full many a gem of purest ray serene. 1820 Keats St. Agnes v, Old dames full many times declare. 1853 Kingsley Hypatia xiv. 168 Philammon would have gone hungry to his couch full many a night.

    c. with advbs. Now arch., chiefly in full well.

c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xxxviii. §5 Þa men þe habbaþ unhale eaᵹan, ne maᵹon ful eaþe locian onᵹean þa sunnan. a 1000 Byrhtnoth 311 (Gr.) He ful baldlice beornas lærde. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 29 Þa iuguleres and þa oðer sottes alle heo habbeð an þonc fulneh. a 1225 Ancr. R. 90 ‘Vbi amor, ibi oculus’; wite þu fulewel. a 1300 Cursor M. 1800 (Gött.) Allas! fule late þai þaim began. c 1300 Harrow. Hell 100 Jesu, wel y knowe the! That ful sore reweth me. 1382 Wyclif 1 Macc. vi. 62 The kyng..brake fulsoone the ooth that he swore. c 1450 Merlin 25 Full euell haue ye sped that thus haue slayn youre kynge. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon i. 35 He thenne kyssed his childe alle bloody full often. 1529 Frith Wks. (1573) 98 Christ full lowly and meekely washed his disciples feete. 1600 Holland Livy viii. xxxviii. (1609) 310 Let them buy it full deerly. 1635 J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Banish'd Virg. 206 Full litle slept the Duke that night. 1667 Milton P.L. i. 536 The imperial ensign..full high advanced, Shone like a meteor. a 1711 Ken Christophil Poet. Wks. 1721 I. 523 Full well I know my Jesus present there. 1782 Cowper Gilpin 79 Full slowly pacing o'er the stones. 1818 Wordsw. Had this effulgence iv, Full early lost, and fruitlessly deplored. 1875 Helps Ess., Transact. Business 73 Those who can seem to forget what they know full well.

    2. Completely, entirely, fully, quite. a. with adjs., esp. numerals. Also full due (see quots. 1867 and 1895).

a 1000 Boeth. Metr. xxvi. 33 Aulixes..sæt longe þæs tyn winter full. c 1340 Cursor M. 9227 (Trin.) Siþ þis world bigon to be Is foure þousonde six hundride fol. c 1374 Chaucer Troylus i. 378 Thus argumentyd he, in his bygynnyng, Ful unavysed of his wo cominge. 1552 Bk. Com. Prayer, Ordination, Full .xxiiii. yeres olde. 1577 B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. i. (1586) 27 It waxeth greater, and..is within fourtie dayes after ful ripe. 1610 Shakes. Temp. i. ii. 396 Full fadom fiue thy Father lies. 1653 Sir E. Nicholas in N. Papers (Camden) II. 6 Being now not full 13 years of age. c 1710 C. Fiennes Diary (1888) 11 We were full an hour passing that hill. 1812 Examiner 5 Oct. 634/1 New Beans are full 6s. per quarter lower: but old ones fully support their price. 1825 Cobbett Rur. Rides 245 A hill of full a mile high. 1863 Kingsley Water Bab. 9 He weighed full fifteen stone. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Full due, for good; for ever; complete; belay. 1871 Palgrave Lyr. Poems 35 She..Blushed like a full-ripe apple. 1874 Stubbs Const. Hist. I. iii. 50 As being a full-free member of the community. 1884 Reade in Harper's Mag. Mar. 637/2 ‘I condemned it ten years ago’. ‘Full that..,’ said Pierre. 1895 E. Anglian Gloss., Full due, final acquittance, for good and all.

    b. with advbs. Now rare.

1382 Wyclif Josh. vi. 5 And the wallis of the cyte [Jericho] shulen fuldoun falle. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. clxii. 200 Kynge Johan was that day a full right good knyght. ? a 1550 Frere & Boye 134 in Ritson Anc. P.P. 40 Than drewe it towarde nyght, Jacke hym hyed home full ryght. 1746 Chesterfield Lett. (1792) I. cv. 288 He articulated every word..full loud enough to be heard the whole length of my library. 1833 H. Martineau Tale of Tyne vi. 116 Adam, as I told you, I saw full enough of.

    c. with advbl. phrases. Also in full as, full as (or † so){ddd}as.

1529 More Comf. agst. Trib. iii. Wks. 1215/2 Though menne shoulde neuer stande full out of feare of fallynge. 1670 Narborough Jrnl. in Acc. Sev. Late Voy. i. (1711) 52 Some Swans but not full so large as ours. 1698 Fryer Acc. E. India & P. 215 The Topaz is a Stone very hard, full as hard as the Saphire. 1719 De Foe Crusoe ii. vi, They lived, though..concealed, yet full at large. 1752 Young Brothers iii. i, To mount full rebel-high. 1762 Foote Lyar ii. Wks. 1799 I. 302 You will be full as useful to it by recruiting her subjects at home. 1796 H. Glasse Cookery v. 53 Butter put into the dripping-pan does full as well. 1825 in Cobbett Rur. Rides (1885) II. 38, I should get full as much by keeping it [the story] to myself. 1837 H. Martineau Soc. Amer. III. 92 To the English reader they are full as interesting as to Americans.

    † d. ful iwis, fuliwis, to fuliwis: full certainly, for certain, assuredly. Obs.

c 1200 Ormin 2529 Þatt witt tu fuliwiss. c 1205 Lay. 26841 Ich wulle bitachen þe ful iwis minne castel inne Paris. c 1220 Bestiary 563 Fro ðe noule niðerward ne is ȝe no man like, Oc fis to fuliwis. c 1300 Harrow. Hell 55 Fore Adames sunne, fol y wis, Ich have tholed al this.

    e. full out: to the full, fully, out and out, quite, thoroughly; now esp., at full power, at top speed; also attrib. or as adj.

1382 Wyclif Isa. xii. 6 Ful out ioȝe, and preise, thou dwelling of Sion. c 1400 Prymer, Litany in Maskell Mon. Rit. (1846–7) II. 106 Lord, make saaf the king: and ful out heere thou us in the dai that we shulen inclepe thee. a 1500 Chaucer's Dreme 2138 Archbishop and archdiacre Song full out the servise. 1600 Abp. Abbot Exp. Jonah 624 This number must definitely be taken for so many thousands full out, that [etc.]. 1615 Bp. Andrewes Serm. (1629) 485 Sacrilege the Apostle rankes with Idolatrie; as being full out as evill. 1676 Halley in Rigaud Corr. Sci. Men (1841) I. 226 Mr. Mercator is full out as obscure in his treatise of Mars. 1699 T. C[ockman] Tully's Offices (1706) 201 And Lucius Crassus..was full-out as generous. 1869 in Lonsdale Gloss. 1917 ‘Contact’ Airman's Outings 46 With nose down and engine full out, we raced towards the lines and safety. 1933 Jrnl. R. Aeronaut. Soc. XXXVII. 877 On its official trials the machine did a full-out speed, while flying level at 19,000 ft., of 121 m.p.h., its cruising speed. 1938 Times 2 Feb. 14/5 It sounded as if the engine was ‘full out’ when the machine struck the ground. 1938 Sunday Express 13 Nov., Alvis was working full out to supply the demand. 1942 Ann. Reg. 1941 120 The Government [of Canada] had pledged themselves to a full-out war effort. 1971 Financial Mail (Johannesburg) 26 Feb. 652/3 A dedicated Mr Botha himself runs the Department full out.

    3. a. Of position and direction: Exactly, directly, straight.

1582 N. Lichefield tr. Castanheda's Conq. E. Ind. lxvii. 137 Our Ordinance beeing shot off, did all light full amongst the enimies. 1584 R. Scot Discov. Witchcr. ii. v. (1886) 20 [They] dare not looke a man full in the face. 1632 Lithgow Trav. vi. 248 An olde Arch of stone..standing ful in the high Way. 1674 N. Cox Gentl. Recreat. iii. (1677) 13 Always..shoot..rather side-ways, or behinde the Fowl, than full in their faces. 1698 Fryer Acc. E. India & P. 25 For which the Winds served them well enough, though full in our Teeth. 1702 Pope Jan. & May 456 Full in the centre of the flow'ry ground A crystal fountain spreads its streams around. 1801 Southey Thalaba x. xvii, Full in his face the lightning-bolt was driven. 1832 H. Martineau Demerara ii. 16 With these principles full in his mind, he began to observe all that surrounded him. 1883 E. Ingersoll in Harper's Mag. Jan. 196/1 A sudden escape from curtaining oak branches brought us full upon the summit.

    b. With reference to the points of the compass: Due. See due B. 2. ? Obs.

1559 W. Cuningham Cosmogr. Glasse 146 Untill she commeth to the Meridian Circle, and is full South. 1601 Holland Pliny I. 79 Before Zacynthus 35 miles full East, are the two Strophades. 1670 Eachard Cont. Clergy Pref. A school that stands full south. 1708 Brit. Apol. No. 93. 2/1 The..Wind is..Full East. 1720 De Foe Capt. Singleton ix. (1840) 154 The one [way] was to travel full west.

    † 4. With vbs. or pples.: Fully, completely, entirely, quite, thoroughly. Obs.

c 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. ii. xiv. [xvi.] (1890) 144 Bi fulcuðum strætum. 1154 O.E. Chron. an. 1083 Hi comon into capitulan on uppon þa munecas full ȝewepnede. 1340 Ayenb. 107 Huer-by we ssolle by zuo uol dronke of þine loue þet [etc.]. 1430–40 Lydg. Bochas i. ix. (1544) 17 a, He was brought forth and recured And full made hole of his woundes sore. 1529 More Comf. agst. Trib. ii. 1182/2 Then he feareth that he bee neuer full confessed, nor neuer full contrite. 1611 Bible John vii. 8 My time is not yet full come. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 508 Our Reader..being before full cloyed with our tedious Narrations. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 319 When once he's broken, feed him full and high. 1807 Med. Jrnl. XVII. 237 He had the small-pox..again very full.

    5. Comb. † a. with vbs.: full-bring [cf. OFris. ful-branga, Ger. vollbringen] trans., to accomplish; full-burn intr., to blaze forth, follow hotly; full-forth [+ forth v.] trans., to accomplish, complete; full-make trans., to complete, perfect; full-serve trans., to serve fully; full-sound intr., to sound loudly; full-thrive intr., to thrive to the full; full-timber trans., to build completely; full-work [OE. full-wyrcan = OHG. fol(l)awurchan] trans., (a) OE. to perpetuate; (b) to complete. Obs.

c 1200 Ormin 16335 Ȝure temmple timmbredd wass, & all *fullbrohht till ende.

1382 Wyclif Gen. xxxi. 36 For what my synne, has thow thus *fulbrent [Vulg. exarsisti] after me.

a 1175 Cott. Hom. 237 His ȝiaf miht and strencþe þurl þe gief of his gaste his hesne to *fulforðie. c 1200 Ormin 15597 ær þann þiss temmple mihhte ben Fullwrohht & all fullforþedd.

a 1300 E.E. Psalter xvi[i]. 5 *Ful⁓make mi steppes in sties Þine. 1490 Caxton Eneydos xxvii. 104 Fulmake thoblacyon to pluto.

1340 Ayenb. 33 And me kan zigge huo þet serueþ and naȝt *uol-serueþ his ssepe he lyest.

1382 Wyclif Judg. vii. 18 Whanne the trompe *fulsowneth in myn hoond.

c 1200 Ormin 5130 Swa *fullþrifenn þatt itt nohht Ne maȝȝ na mare waxxenn.

Ibid. 16321 Godess temmple..wass i sexe ȝeress all and fow⁓werrtiȝ *fulltimmbredd.

a 1035 Cnut's Laws ii. c. 61 (Schmid) Gif hwa on fyrde griðbryce *fulwyrce. c 1200 Fullwrohht [see quot. for fullforth above].

    b. with pres. and pa. pples. (cf. A. 12 b, to which some of these might be referred), as full-accomplished, full-acorned, full-adjusted, full-armed, full-assembled, full-assured, full-beaming, full-bearing, full-born, full-bound, full-buckramed, full-descending, full-digested, full-distended, † full-drive(n, full-exerted, full-extended, † full-fast, full-fatted, full-fledged, full-glowing, † full-greased, † full-knowing, † full-known, full-levelled, full-manned, full-nerved, full-plumed, full-ripened, full-spread, full-strained, full-trimmed, full-tuned, † full-waxen; † full-begotten, lawfully begotten, legitimate; full-blown¹, filled with wind, puffed out (lit. and fig.); see blow v.¹ 22; full-blown², in full bloom (lit. and fig.); see blow v.² 1; full-fashioned = fully-fashioned adj.; full-stated (see quot.).

1726–46 Thomson Winter 668 Indulge her fond ambition..To mark thy various *full-accomplished mind.

1611 Shakes. Cymb. ii. v. 16 Like a *full Acorn'd Boare.

1730–46 Thomson Autumn 835 The *full-adjusted harmony of things.

1776 Mickle tr. Camoens' Lusiad 31 *Full-arm'd they came, for brave defence prepared.

1735 Thomson Liberty iii. 260 Her *full-assembled Youth innumerous swarm'd.

1839 Bailey Festus xix. (1848) 220 The *full-assured faith.

1735 Somerville Chase ii. 142 Had not her Eyes, With Life *full-beaming, her vain Wiles betray'd.

1896 Daily News 17 June 4/5 The thousand acres is never all *full-bearing altogether.

1636 Rutherford Lett. (1862) I. 182 Your Father counteth you not a bastard: *full-begotten bairns are nurtured.

1615 J. Stephens Satyr. Ess. 3 With cheeks *full blowne Each man will wish the case had beene his owne. a 1635 Naunton Fragm. Reg. (Arb.) 15 A time in which (for externals) she was full blown. 1635–56 Cowley Davideis ii. 735 Some did the Way with full-blown Roses spread. 1693 Dryden Persius i. 254 Who at enormous Villany turns pale, And steers against it with a full-blown Sail. 1699 Bentley Phal. 414 Full blown with the opinion of his wonderfull Acuteness. 1749 Johnson Vanity Hum. Wishes 99 In full-blown dignity, see Wolsey stand. 1878 Browning La Saisiaz 20 Flower that's full-blown tempts the butterfly.

1821 Keats Lamia i. 172 Whither fled Lamia, now a lady bright, A *full-born beauty new and exquisite.

1766 W. Gordon Gen. Counting-ho. 319, 45 barrels *full bound mess-beef. 1851 Offic. Catal. Gt. Exhib. II. 545 Bible, 8vo., full-bound in maroon Turkey morocco.

1833 H. Martineau Berkeley the Banker i. i. 7 The *full-buckramed fancy dresses of the young gentlemen.

1715–20 Pope Iliad xx. 460 The impatient steel with *full-descending sway Forced through his brazen helm its furious way.

1768–74 Tucker Lt. Nat. (1852) I. 419 We shall..partake in the expertness and *full-digested remembrance belonging to that.

1728–46 Thomson Spring 185 The *full-distended clouds Indulge their genial stores.

c 1386 Chaucer Frankl. T. 502 This bargayn is *ful dryue, for we been knyt.

1726–46 Thomson Winter 171 Before the breath Of *full-exerted heaven they wing their course.

1730–46 ― Autumn 1119 The long lines of *full-extended war In bleeding flight commixed.

1883 Glasg. Weekly Her. 21 Apr. 8/2 Ladies' *full-fashioned black Lisle thread hose. 1927 T. Woodhouse Artificial Silk 92 Originally, the spring beard needles were used in full-fashioned (flat) machines. Ibid. 95 Needles have to be taken out of action when it is desired to decrease the width of any part of the full-fashioned fabric... This possibility of effecting various changes in the width according to the amount of material required for various parts of the human body, gave rise to the term ‘full-fashioned’. 1937 Times 29 Nov. 38/2 ‘What does {oqq}full-fashioned{cqq} mean?’.. ‘It means that a stocking is made to fit the contours of the leg.’

c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 61 Þa odre weren *fulfeste sone.

1382 Wyclif Deut. xxxii. 15 Ful fat maad is the loued, and aȝen wynsed; *ful-fattid, fulgresid, outlargid.

1883 ‘Mark Twain’ Life on Mississippi 246, I was a pilot now, *full-fledged. 1884 Times (weekly ed.) 7 Nov. 8/2 A tutor's pay is only about a third of that of a full-fledged professor. 1895 Sir W. Harcourt Sp. in Ho. Com. 14 May, A full-fledged butterfly. 1961 Brno Studies III. 92 A ‘full-fledged’ verb.

1863 I. Williams Baptistery i. viii. (1874) 89 The sun..Blending them in the golden blazonry Of his *full-glowing orb. 1382 *Ful-gresid [see full-fatted].

1612 Selden Drayton's Poly-olb. To Rdr., What the Verse oft with allusion, as supposing a *full knowing Reader, lets slip.

1386 Rolls of Parlt. III. 225/1 Nichol Brembre..with stronge honde, as it is *ful knowen..was chosen Mair.

1701 Norris Ideal World i. i. 6 This is..staring, with a *full-levelled eye, the great luminary of spirits in the face.

1606 Shakes. Ant. & Cl. iii. vii. 52 Our ouer-plus of shipping will we burne, And with the rest *full mann'd, from th' head of Action Beate th' approaching Cæsar.

1839 Bailey Festus vii. (1848) 70 Dare with *fullnerved arm the rage of all.

c 1630 Drummond of Hawthornden Elegy on G. Adolphus Wks. (1711) 54 With *full plum'd wing thou faulkon-like could fly. 1861 Thornbury Turner (1862) I. 58 He will be a full-plumed Royal Academy Student.

1878 Masque Poets 214 Brings to northern shores *full-ripened tropic fruits.

1660 Dryden Astræa Redux 64 With *full-spread sails to run before the wind. 1748 Thomson Castl. Indol. i. 209 Slow from his bench arose A comely full-spread porter, swol'n with sleep. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Full spread, all sail set.

1746 Exmoor Scolding 405 (E.D.S.) Ya know es kep Challacomb-Moor in Hond; tes *vull stated. Ibid., Full-stated, spoken of a Leasehold Estate that has Three Lives subsisting thereon.

1757 Dyer Fleece iii. 169 Sinewy arms of men, with *full strain'd strength, Wring out the latent water.

1826 Scott Mal. Malagr. ii. 59 A *full-trimmed suit of black silk, or velvet.

1842 Tennyson Love & Duty 40 When thy low voice, Faltering, would break its syllables, to keep My own *full-tuned.

c 1200 Ormin 10890 He wass *full-waxenn mann.

    
    

---

    
     ▸ full-court press n. Basketball a defensive strategy in which intense pressure is applied to the opposing team over the entire length of the court (cf. press n.¹ 11f); (also in extended use) a vigorous and concerted effort or campaign.

1949 Waterloo (Iowa) Daily Courier 16 Jan. 40/1 The Tigers tried a *full-court press at the start of the second half, but for the most part it backfired as the GoHawks began to click with their fast break. 1967 Los Angeles Times 13 June c12/3 Nothing so embarrassing as humor which doesn't come off, and John Godey's actor mistaken for a gangster doesn't in spite of a full court press. 1992 Forbes 7 Dec. 236/2 It can..put a full-court press on the Federal Reserve to gun the money supply. 2000 N.Y. Times 20 Sept. s3/6 Coach Rudy Tomjanovich quickly sicced a full-court press on the defiant Italians with less than nine minutes left.

    
    

---

    
     ▸ slang (orig. U.S.). to be full of shit (also crap): to lack credibility; to talk nonsense; to lie or make unfounded claims. Also (euphem.) to be full of it.

1934R. Chandler Finger Man in O. Penzler Black Lizard Big Bk. of Pulps (2007) 535/1 ‘If I talked wrong, they'd be back for my little girl.’ ‘Go on... They're full of crap.’ 1962H. S. Thompson Let. 6 June in Proud Highway (1997) 341 The people at the Embassy and the USIS are so full of shit that the stench floats down to the street and disrupts traffic. 1964 Tulane Drama Rev. 9 65 If you feel something's wrong with the scene, and the director says ‘Don't worry, it's fine’—he's full of it. 1968 I. Horovitz Indian wants Bronx (1996) 20 Murph. What the hell kind of story's that? Joey. It's a true one, that's all. Yours is full of crap. 1998J. Ambrose I hate you & I hate your Jesus in S. Champion & D. Scannell Shenanigans (1999) x. 189 She knows I think they're fake punks. She knows I think they're politically full of shit. 2000 T. Hall To Elephant Graveyard (2001) vi. 146 This bloke's full of it... I've never heard so much baloney in all my life.

    
    

---

    
     ▸ full-motion adj. designating, relating to, or involving the reproduction of moving images in a realistic way, without jerkiness, and usually so as to fill the screen displaying them.

1971 H. Ohlman Communication Media & Educ. Technol. ii. 45 Any system for transmitting still-picture television programs should be compatible with *full-motion television. 1987 T. Forester High-tech Society (1989) iv. 125 A full motion color TV picture can typically be transmitted via Codecs using only 768,000 bits of data per second. 1993 D. Shay & J. Duncan Making of Jurassic Park 134 Composited into the Hawaii background plate would be a full-motion CG brachiosaur. 2001 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 6 Dec. d9/3 In five years, he added, e-mail may routinely convey full-motion color video with instant click-through to any number of attachments and points of reference.

    full-motion video n. moving images of television quality (at least 25 frames per second) reproduced on a computer or television screen, and frequently involving digital compression techniques; abbreviated FMV.

1978 Sci. Amer. Apr. 26/1 Using a satellite to transmit data, voice, *full-motion and freeze-frame video, and facsimile documents—all interactively—Satellite Business Systems (SBS) has undertaken a pace-setting experiment in advanced communications. 1981 Aviation Week (Nexis) 8 June 322 We want a system with full motion video, open mikes, life-size eye-to-eye interaction and graphic presentations. 1994 CD-ROM World Apr. 18/3 There are very few CD titles on the market that use MPEG encoding for full-motion video. 2000 N.Y. Times 1 Jan. c2/4 It is nowhere near as fast as T-3, which is needed to transmit full-motion video in real time.

    
    

---

    
     ▸ full beam n. chiefly Brit. and Austral. the setting at which a vehicle's headlights are undipped and brightest; a beam from a headlight on this setting; cf. main beam n. (b) at main adj.² Special uses 2.

1938 Portsmouth (New Hampsh.) Herald 9 July 1/3 He looked up into the glare of the lights of the police car which..was parked..with the headlights on at *full beam. 1987 Advertiser (Adelaide) (Nexis) 9 June Motorcycles with their lights on full beam also drove up from behind the demonstrators, dazzling police. 2006 Sunday Times (Nexis) 5 Nov. 33 Badly adjusted lights.., not to mention full beams left on inadvertently.

    
    

---

    
     ▸ full ride n. N. Amer. Educ. colloq. a grant funding the total cost of attending a university, including tuition and other expenses; a fully subsidized course of study at a university.

1956 Chicago Daily Tribune 1 Aug. iii. 1/4 All Big Ten schools..gave ‘*full ride’ scholarships to one or more football players. 1986 Globe & Mail (Toronto) (Nexis) 27 Sept. c8, I had a full ride there but it meant I couldn't play any football, just track eight months of the year. 2004 U.S. News & World Rep. (Electronic ed.) 6 Sept. 72 Jones..had a 3.8 GPA.., not good enough for a full ride to his first-choice school.

▪ IV. full, n.⁴ local (Kent).
    [Prob. a use of full n.³]
    A ridge of shingle or sand pushed or cast up by the tide. So full v.⁴ trans., to form such a ridge on (the beach).

1846 F. Drew Geol. Folkestone & Rye 16 The beach is gradually ‘fulled’, that is pebbles are heaped up in front of the breaker, generally forming a small ridge. 1847 Proc. Inst. Civil Engin. VI. 476 No certain record has ever been kept of the increase of the coast line; but from the best existing data, it appears to be about two yards annually, and allowing the accumulation to have been rather more rapid at first, say three yards per annum, a period of about nineteen hundred years will have elapsed, since the sea first left the original ‘Full’ at Lydd. 1864 Ibid. XXIII. 195 The spit..is formed of parallel ‘fulls’ of beach. 1902 Ld. Avebury Scenery of Eng. 163 It [sc. North Weir Point] consists of a series of curved concentric ridges or ‘fulls’..forming a projecting cape or ‘Ness’. 1964 V. J. Chapman Coastal Veget. viii. 205 At Dungeness the ridges, known as ‘fulls’, generally bear Curled dock.

▪ V. † full, v.¹ Obs.
    Forms: 1 ful(l)wian, fullian, 3–4 folle(n, 3 south. volle(n, 3 fulhe(n, vulȝen, fulewen, folewen, 2–4 fulwe(n, fulȝe, 2 fule(h)ȝen, 4 folwen, fologhe, 5 folowe, 4–6 fulle, (4 fully).
    [OE. fullian, fullwian, f. full adv. + OTeut. *wîhêjan, wîhjan (OHG. wîhen, mod.Ger. weihen) to consecrate, f. *wîho- (OS., OHG. wîh, Goth. weihs) holy.
    The word thus means ‘to consecrate fully’. A convert who was deemed not sufficiently instructed for baptism, or who shrank from assuming the responsibilities which it involved, was frequently prime-signed, i.e. marked with the sign of the cross only, the ‘full consecration’ by baptism being deferred till a later period.]
    trans. To baptize.

c 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. i. xv. [xxvi.] (1890) 62 Ongunnon heo somnian & singan..& men læran & fulwian. a 1000 Martyrol. (E.E.T.S.) 80 He wæs ᵹefullwad æt Rome. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. John i. 33 Se þe me sende to fullianne on wætere. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 101 Heo setteð heoran handan ofer ifulȝede men. c 1205 Lay. 2402 Þe king heo lette fulwen æfter þon lawen. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 1391 Hwi ne hihe we for to beon Ifulhet [v.r. ifulhtnet] as he het his. 1297 R. Glouc. (1724) 239 As ȝoure fader dude, do, And be yuolled in holy water. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 164 Alle arn laþed luflyly..Þat euer wern fulȝed in font þat fest to haue. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 5697 He wolde fully..þan Amyral þat was þere. c 1430 Chev. Assigne 369 The sixte was fulwedde cheuelere assigne. c 1450 Myrc 85 To folowe the chylde ȝef hyt be nede. 1483 Festivall (W. de W. 1515) 32 b, Cryste..was fulled in water.

▪ VI. full, v.²
    (fʊl)
    Also 4 follen, fulle(n.
    [f. full a.
    OE. had fullian to fulfil (Cædmon's Gen. 2317), but continuity is doubtful; in the early ME. fullen the u prob. represents (y), so that the examples belong to fill v.]
    † 1. a. trans. To make full. Cf. fill v. 1. Obs.

1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. v. 184 In couenant that Clement schulde the cuppe fulle. a 1400 Prymer (1891) 39 Thanne is oure mouth fulled of joye. 1484 Caxton Fables of æsop (1889) 72 He was..fulled with sorowe. 1627–47 Feltham Resolves i. lxxxvii. 270 Surely travail fulleth the man.

    b. intr. To be or become full. Const. of. Obs. exc. dial. and in U.S. of the moon and the tide.

1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. xi. 44 Thei..demeth god in-to the gorge whon heore gottus follen. c 1450 Cov. Myst. (Shaks. Soc.) 343 Myn heed dullyth Myn herte ffullyth Of sslepp. 1794 E. Drinker Jrnl. 9 Sept. (1889) 237 The moon fulled this morning about 8 or 10 o'clock. 1864 Webster, The moon fulls at midnight. 1878 B. F. Taylor Between Gates 40 It is as if a poor little aster should full like the moon and be a dahlia. a 1898 Suffolk dial. (F. Hall) ‘The moon will full to-night’. 1912 L. J. Vance Destroying Angel xix, He should be able to catch the tide just as it was nearing high water. Allowing it to swing him north-west until it fulled, he ought to be a third of the way across by the time it slackened. 1938 W. de la Mare Memory 32 Fulling moon aloft doth ride.

    † 2. trans. To fulfil, complete. Obs.

1380 [see fulling vbl. n.]. 1492 Acta Dom. Conc. (1839) 247/1 Þe saidis persons sall mak na payment of the said soume quhill the poyntis of þe said decrett be fullit efter the forme of þe samyn. 1640 Brome Antipodes iii. viii. Wks. 1873 III. 290 Before he has given her satisfaction I may not full my suit.

    3. Dressmaking. To make full; to gather or pleat. Also with on.

1831 Westm. Rev. XIV. 424 The milliner with her fulling, and quilling, and puckering, come[s] in to supply the retiring graces of nature. 1832 E. Ind. Sketch Bk. I. 261 A petticoat fulled and stiffened into the dignified rotundity of a hoop. 1884 West. Daily Press 2 June 7/2 Plastrons..are composed of a straight piece, fulled into a small band at the top. 1890 Daily News 4 Dec. 3/4 Many pretty little jackets..are composed of black lace fulled on over a foundation of silk or gold gauze.

    b. intr. To draw up, pucker, bunch.

1889 Century Dict., The skirt fulls too much in front.

    Hence fulled ppl. a., gathered or pleated; arranged in folds; ˈfulling vbl. n., the action of the vb.; † (a) the action of fulfilling; (b) the action of gathering or pleating; in quots. concr.

c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 257 Her matere schulde be truþe and fullynge of Goddis lawe. 1760 Mrs. Delany Life & Corr. Ser. ii. III. App. 504 There was very little fulling, but the whole design was to be seen without many folds. 1877 Blackmore Cripps I. ii. 24 She gathered in the skirt of her frock and the fulling of her cloak. 1892 Daily News 16 Feb. 6/5 Coats..finished off at the neck with a fulled shoulder cape.

▪ VII. full, v.³
    (fʊl)
    Also 5 ful(le.
    [ad. OF. fuler (F. fouler): see foil v.¹]
    1. trans. spec. To tread or beat (cloth) for the purpose of cleansing and thickening it; hence, to cleanse and thicken (cloth, etc.).

1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xv. 445 Cloth that cometh fro the weuyng is nouȝt comly to were, Tyl it is fulled vnder fote or in fullyng-stokkes. c 1440 Prompt. Parv. 182/1 Fulle clothe, fullo. c 1483 Caxton Vocab. 15 b, Colard..Can well fulle cloth. 1511–2 Act 3 Hen. VIII, c. 6 §1 The Walker and Fuller shall truely walke fulle thikke and werke every webbe of wollen yerne. 1598 Florio, Follare, to full, as clothes in a presse. 1643 Prynne Open. Gt. Seale 20 One..man should be assigned..to seale the Clothes that shall be wrought and fulled in London. 1695 Lond. Gaz. No. 3086/4 A new Invented Engine, which Fulls all sorts of Stuffs by Hand or Mans Labour. 1812 Southey in Q. Rev. VII. 63 In this manner a girl can full twenty pair of hose in four or five hours. 1872 Yeats Techn. Hist. Comm. 147 English cloths, at the outset were sent to be fulled and dyed in the Netherlands. 1884 J. Payne Tales fr. Arabic I. 233, I shall..weave for her and full her yarn.

    † 2. gen. To beat or trample down; also, to destroy. Obs.

c 1400 Rowland & O. 112 Fulle the under my horse fete. c 1440 York Myst. xi. 118 Nowe kyng Pharo fuls thare childir ful faste. 1641 Best Farm. Bks. (Surtees) 78 Hee threw his hey abroad a nights afore hee lette them in, because then they did not runne over it and full it so much.

Oxford English Dictionary