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ful

(fl)

Any of various Egyptian dishes made from broad beans that are simmered until tender and then mashed.

[Arabic fūl, broad beans, from Aramaic pōlā, broad bean; see pwl in the Appendix of Semitic roots.]

-ful

suff.

a. Full of: playful.

b. Characterized by; resembling: masterful.

c. Tending, given, or able to: useful.

2. A quantity that fills: armful.

[Middle English, from Old English, from full, full; see FULL¹.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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