bankfulladj.
/ˌbaŋkˈfʊl/, U.S. /ˌbæŋkˈfʊl/ 1. Of a river: swollen to the top of its banks; full to its banks of or with water. Also figurative and in figurative contexts. Cf. bank-high adj. at bank n.1 Compounds 2.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > water > flow or flowing > flood or flooding > [adjective] > full to the brink
bankfullc1600
bank-high1675
bank and bank1855
the world > space > place > presence > fact of taking up space > [adjective] > full > full to the brim
brerd-fullc1000
bret-fullc1200
staff-fulla1400
chock-fullc1440
brimful1530
brink-full1553
top-full1553
brim-charged1582
bankfullc1600
crowned1603
full-brimmed1614
brimmed1624
teemful1673
brimming1697
stock-full1782
throat-fulla1800
jam-full1835
cram-full1837
stodge-full1847
chockc1850
top-filled1860
c1600 J. Faukener in Alrewas Parish Reg. (2003) I. 21 This..Day..was the water of Trent dryed up..and the same water in the morning before was bancke full.
1628 J. Hume Jewes Deliv. vii. 121 He desireth their libertie to be accomplished, with as great celeritie as a Riuer, being bankfull, doth run with a swift current.
1637 S. Rutherford Lett. (1863) I. clxix. 397 A little of God would make my soul bankfull.
1799 tr. M. Saleh in J. Scott tr. Ināyat Allāh Bahar-Danush I. Pref. Introd. p. xxx The space between the written lines is as a river, bank-full of the water of life.
1845 Sporting Mag. Oct. 235 Owing to the river being bank full and as muddy as a clay pit, [etc.].
1865 Visct. Milton & W. B. Cheadle N.-W. Passage by Land 275 This river was..bank full with glacier water.
1906 Westm. Gaz. 19 Jan. 4/2 Another rise has taken place in the Thames, which is bank-full, while a heavy and muddy stream is running.
2006 N. M. Peterson Walking in Two Worlds iv. 77 The river beside them raced bankfull and turbulent.
2. Designating or relating to the conditions in which a river will start to flood.
ΚΠ
1885 Amer. Engineer 10 132/2 The discharge for the same bank-full stage should have been much greater with the bars removed than when they were present to obstruct the flow.
1921 1st Biennial Rep. Commissioner Drainage & Waters (State of Minnesota) 78 The importance of providing a large bank-full capacity for the Minnesota River below the reservoir is clearly shown.
1976 S. Judson et al. Physical Geol. xiii. 305/1 A stream flow which just fills the channel, that is, the bankfull stage, occurs on the average of every one to two years.
2003 Hamilton (Ont.) Spectator (Nexis) 14 June n01 If these forecast amounts occur, streams could reach ‘bankfull conditions’ with a potential for flooding in low-lying areas.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2015; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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adj.c1600