jailful

English

Alternative forms

• gaolful

Etymology

From jail +‎ -ful.

Noun

jailful (plural jailfuls or jailsful)

1. Enough to fill a jail.
   • 1875 August 26, “The Week”, in The Nation: A Weekly Journal Devoted to Politics, Literature, Science, and Art, volume XXI, New York, N.Y.: E. L. Godkin & Co., page 125:

     The news of his approach struck terror into the hearts of the negroes, who immediately stopped preparing to massacre the whites, and in a few hours the only traces that could be found of the insurrection were several jailfuls of “ringleaders” arrested on suspicion, and swampfuls of followers who had run away to escape the vengeance of the whites.

   • 1906, James Henderson Blount, Philippine Independence as a National Issue in 1908: An Address Delivered Before the General Assembly of Georgia, August 13, 1906, the Franklin-Turner Company, page 17:

     On the contrary, I served the civil government as loyally as I knew how, and broke down in health from working overtime, trying to properly dispose of overcrowded jailsful before people awaiting trial died.

   • 1939, Elliot Paul, The Mysterious Mickey Finn:

     You wouldn’t want a whole jailful of good Americans framed.