pencilful

English

Etymology

From pencil +‎ -ful.

Noun

pencilful (plural not attested)

1. (obsolete) The amount that can be held in a pencil (medicinal bougie).
   • 1796, J[ohn] Robertson, edited by William Wales, The Elements of Navigation; Containing the Theory and Practice. […], 6th edition, volume II, London: […] F. Wingrave, […]; G. G. and J. Robinson, and T[homas] N[orton] Longman, […]; W. Richardson, […]; and J. Scatcherd, […], page 74:

     A ſmall vial of diſtilled verdigriſe, which is a fine ſea-green: 11th. Some gum Arabic diſſolved in water. Theſe particulars are to be had at colour ſhops: where the colours in lumps, or liquids, are generally prepared with a ſufficient quantity of gum in them; but thoſe in powders muſt have a pencilful or two of gum water put to them, when they are uſed.

   • 1952, Bernard Wolfe, Limbo:

     “[…] Shall I give you the whole pencilful?” One blink. “Here it is. I’m pouring it between your lips. Try to swallow.”

2. (historical) The amount of paint, water, ink, etc. that can be held on a paintbrush.
   • 1875, The Coach-Makers’ Illustrated Hand-Book, Second Edition, Containing Complete Instructions in All the Different Branches of Carriage Building. […], Philadelphia, Pa.: I. D. Ware, page 261:

     We would suggest that quick-drying striping color, for fine lining, be ground stiff in oil, and then turpentine and japan be mixed, and kept in a small vessel, so that in the operation of striping each pencilful of color may be supplied with the quantity of drier requisite to insure its drying.

   • 1879, John Ruskin, “Of Light and Shade”, in The Laws of Fésole. A Familiar Treatise on the Elementary Principles and Practice of Drawing and Painting. As Determined by the Tuscan Masters. Arranged for the Use of Schools., volume I, Sunnyside, Orpington, Kent: George Allen, page 186:

     Take first a pencilful of quite pure water, and lead it along the top of your five-inch space, leaving a little ridge of water all the way. Then, from your supply saucer, put a pencilful of the mixed colour into the pure water; stir that up well with your pencil, and lead the ridge of pure water down with that delicatest tint, about half an inch, leaving another ridge all along. Then another pencilful from the supply saucer into the other, mixed always thoroughly, for the next half inch.

   • 1882, R. C. Miller, Miller’s “Boss” Painter’s Receipt Book, Third and Revised Edition. […], Xenia, Ohio: Nonpareil Printing Co., page 103:

     By this plan, dryer is added to each fresh pencilful of color, the pencil behaves better and the stripes run on as freely and with as good edges as when color is mixed with oil.

   • 1900, Adam Grainger, compiler, 言方蜀西: Western Mandarin, or the Spoken Language of Western China; with Syllabic and English Indexes, Shanghai: American Presbyterian Mission Press, page 484:

     take up a pencilful of ink.

   • 1917, Letters from the Little Blue Room, London: C. W. Daniel, Ltd., page 191:

     Believe me, this and her enclosed “letter”—over the writing of which she has sucked almost a whole pencilful of copying-ink lead—is the continued work of many evenings.

   • 1918, Australasian Coachbuilder and Wheelwright, page 506:

     Lift a pencilful of dry gold on to the palette, now dip enough gold size to bind it, and a touch of turps to make it run freely.

   • 1967, Giorgio Vasari, translated by Mrs. Jonathan Foster [i.e., Eliza Foster], edited by Marilyn Aronberg Lavin, Lives of the Most Eminent Painters, New York, N.Y.: The Heritage Press, page 269:

     Then setting to work, at every second pencilful he washed his brush into the bowl beside him, wherein there remained by this means, more colour than the painter had bestowed on his work.

3. The quantity of lead (or graphite) that fills a pencil.
   • 1949 February 23, “A No-Name Person”, in The Weekly Kansas City Star, volume 60, number 1, Kansas City, Mo., page 9:

     How about taking a penful of ink or a pencil[-]ful of lead and giving us your real name and address so that your note can be answered?

4. The amount that can be written with a pencil.
   • 1892 January 24, “Echoes From The Streets”, in The Pittsburg Press‎^[1], volume 9, number 23, Pittsburg, Pa.:

     It is not my intention to throw even a pencilful of fun at the country boy.

   • 1949, Wilbert McLeod Chapman, Fishing in Troubled Waters, Philadelphia, Pa., New York, N.Y.: J. B. Lippincott Company, page 114:

     I had a whole pencilful of signatures and was in the position of a murderer who, after the first crime, does not hesitate to commit the second, third or fourth, for the punishment was the same.