wigful

English

Etymology

wig +‎ -ful

Noun

wigful (plural wigfuls or wigsful)

1. As much as will fit in or on a wig.
   • 1834, Frederick Marryat, Florence Marryat, Rattlin, the reefer, page 41:

     When I became strong enough to be again able to rim about, I was once more sent to a day-school, and all that I remember about the matter was, that every day, about eleven o'clock, I was told to run home and get a wigful of potatoes from Brandon's, the venerable pedagogue coolly taking off his wig, and exchanging it for a red night cap, until my return with the provender.

   • 1997, Mildred D. Taylor, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry: And Related Readings, →ISBN, page 130:

     “Man sold me them books told me these two was written by a black man," Papa said, opening my book and pointing to a picture of a man in a long, fancy coat and a wigful of curly hair that fell to his shoulders.

2. An amount done by people who wear wigs.
   • 1871, Thoughts of Leisure Hours: Poems, Songs &c., &c, page iv:

     We know, full well indeed, from the very nature of some of our pleas, as surely as ever a "leader" in Court of Queen's Bench, Exchequer or Chancery can tell that he will have gowned brothers down upon him with whole wigsful of battery, prepared to resist him from all the Malakoffs and Mamelons in the Kingdom of laws, before he has well laid down a parallel, that we shall not have all the Court with us

   • 1959, The Nautical Magazine - Volumes 181-182, page 285:

     I can't remember that this learned Beak excluded Her Majesty's, the Royal Yacht Squadron's or any one else's ships, but I do know that we belted in and came away with positively wigfuls of apologies.