nightful

English

Etymology 1

night +‎ -ful

Noun

nightful (plural nightfuls or nightsful)

1. All that occurs or is done during a single night.
   • 1970, Harmon Hartzell Bro, Dreams in the Life of Prayer: The Approach of Edgar Cayce, page 43:

     Interpreting dreams was interpreting dreamers, finding what function was performed for the dreamer by specific dreams, or by nightsful of dreams, or by a dream series.

   • 1993, Suze Craig, Tails & Tales: Small Farming in New England, page 91:

     No deer, of course. But summer nightfuls of a raccoon banging the lid of Mr. Gallagher's in-ground garbage can, ker-blam ker-blam ker- blam.

   • 1999, Liam Ó Murchú, Black Cat in the Window, page 175:

     We're each and every one of them when our local cinema, The Hall, disgorges its nightful of cowboys and we go roaring down Shandon Street, belting the hell out of our backsides to get Trigger ahead of the Red Indians.

   • 2001, MaComère - Volume 4, page 25:

     When the evening comes, God's face then is a nightful of stars that lay to rest on the nearby tadpole water.

2. As much as is produced or consumed throughout an entire night.
   • 1934, The North American Review, page 31:

     And now, in March, when back home in Iowa thoughts of plowing were making folks restless, and spring was only a matter of a morning's rain or shine (either would bring it), snow had fallen again—a whole nightful of it.

   • 1946, Larry Freeman, Edith Mendel Stern, Mastering Your Nerves: How to Relax Through Action, page 208:

     Some people are affected more by two glasses of beer than others by a nightful of Scotch and sodas.

   • 1990, Jennifer Greene, Slow Dance, page 38:

     Nothing was going to help his appearance by now. With his borrowed orderly's jacket, his work boots, grease-stained jeans and a nightful of whiskers, he could guess what he looked like in her eyes.

Etymology 2

night +‎ -ful

Adjective

nightful (comparative more nightful, superlative most nightful)

1. Pertaining to the night; occurring at night, found at night, resulting from the night, night-like, etc.
   • 1847, Horatio Hubbell, Arnold: Or, The Treason of West Point, page 42:

     Fatigue, and want of strength from recent sickness: The ague's touch, that now recurs beneath These nightful dews.

   • 1947, Landfall - Volume 1, page 259:

     O nightful men, we come and are bearing gifts For the fallen tribes, a nationality More gracious than your counterfeited kings, Or the five-fold unity of your long canoes.

   • 1974, Jerome David Salinger, The Complete Uncollected Short Stories of J.D. Salinger:

     When his mind was filled to its unhappy capacity, one cheerless, nightful trend rose to the top: Look for a place to sleep.

   • 2000, Máirín Diamond, The testimony of the bones, page 75:

     I could have walked away from myself that nightful day: itching, retching, twitching; pain.