tunful

English

Etymology

From Middle English tonneful (attested in the plural as tonnefullis), equivalent to tun +‎ -ful.

Noun

tunful (plural tunfuls or tunsful)

1. Enough to fill a tun or cask.
   • a. 1695, George Savile, Marquis of Halifax, The Works of George Savile, Marquis of Halifax‎^[1], Oxford: Clarendon Press, published 1989, →ISBN, page 31:

     Like essence there can bee tunfuls of it. It must come by drops, no showers of it.

   • 1887, James Britten, “The Catholic Truth Society”, in The Dublin Review, third series, volume XVII, London: Burns & Oates, Limited; Dublin: M. H. Gill & Son; New York, N.Y.: Catholic Publication Society Co., page 409:

     At the same time, every effort will be made to soften prejudice by conciliatory language, winning souls by love and not by bitterness, and remembering the words of St. Francis of Sales, “that more hearts are gained by a spoonful of honey than by tunsful of vinegar.”