Fistful
/ˈfɪst.fʊl/noun
The amount that can be held in a closed hand.
Did you know?The first part, fist, comes from a very old Germanic word for a closed hand, while -ful is the same ancient ending behind words like mouthful and handful, meaning “as much as fills.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*fūstaz
“fist, closed hand”
Old English
OE
fyst
“fist”
Old English
OE
fylle
“something that fills; fill”
Middle English
ME
fystful
“as much as a fist can hold”
Modern English
English
fistful
“the amount that can be held in a closed hand”