Middle English Dictionary Entry
ship-ful n.
Entry Info
| Forms | ship-ful n. Also (early) sipfol; pl. shipful, (SW) ssipvol. |
| Etymology | From ship n. & -ful (l), adj. used as final member in cpd. nouns. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
A ship filled with people, goods, etc.; also, the quantity of people, goods, etc. that a ship can hold.
Associated quotations
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)11824 : Don he hit nolde for a scip ful [Otho: sipfol] of golde.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)917 : Here toward engelond he mette in þe se Þritti ssipuol [B: schipes fol] of men & of wimmen al so, Of children & of oþer god þat hii adde wiþ hom ido.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)2401 : Hors & hengist..Come to kent þulke tyme..Mid þre ssipuol kniȝtes yarmed wel ynou.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)5363 : In deuenissire þer after þer ariuede of deneys, Þre & tuenti ssipuol men al aȝen þe peys.
- (1403) Will York in Sur.Soc.4327 : Lego fabricæ ecclesiæ beati Petri Ebor. caryyng unius shipfull petrarum per aquam.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)507 : Hercules..hadde not folk y-nowe..Ther was not a schip ful of men.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)2902 : Richard..hadde þryttene schyp fful of been.