fingernailful

English

Etymology

fingernail +‎ -ful

Noun

fingernailful (plural fingernailfuls or fingernailsful)

1. (rare) Enough to be stored under one's fingernail.
   • 1952, Meredith Willson, Who did what to Fedalia?, page 27:

     He hurried up the back stairs with the hot water, scooping up a fingernailful of frost off the window in the back hall where there wasn't any register.

   • 1971 March 4, Pam Goldstein, “Students: Marijuana ‘Prevalent’ at Eastern”, in The Hartford Courant, volume CXXXIV, number 63, Hartford, Conn., page 50:

     He said, “A bag of heroin is about two little fingernailsful. […]”

   • 1974, Maya Angelou, Gather Together in My Name, New York, N.Y.: Random House, →ISBN, page 167:

     Clara gave me salts and bath oil and I continued examining the day in fingernailfuls.

   • 1987, William Diehl, Thai horse, page 307:

     He scraped up a fingernailful and, holding it to a nostril, slowly inhaled it. He waited for another minute or two for it to take effect, then he scraped up another fingernailful and put it in his mouth and tasted it.

   • 1988 December 29, Sandra Duveau, “Sneaking foods at holiday buffets”, in The Press-Tribune, page B-5:

     In the past, I would have eaten nine full-to-the-brim plates of her scrumptious savories — but just fingernailfuls this time.

   • 2011, Stella Duffy, Singling Out The Couples:

     Timing in the offered fingernailful of cocaine, well cut and loose dropped into the hollow between my collarbones.