chock full

See also: chockfull and chock-full

English

Alternative forms

• chocked full, chockful, chock-full, chockfull, chokeful, choke full, choke-full, chokefull
• chuck-full, chuck full (dated)

Etymology

From Middle English chokkeful (“crammed full”) c. 1400, possibly from choke (“cheek”), equivalent to cheek +‎ full. Or it may be from Old French choquier (“collide, crash, hit”), similar to shock.^[1] The later form chock-a-block full is due to association with chock, used in carpentry and shipbuilding.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌtʃɒk ˈfʊl/

Adjective

chock full (comparative more chock full, superlative most chock full)

1. (informal) Containing the maximum amount possible, flush on all sides, jam-packed, crammed.

   That article is chock-full of errors.

   • 1741, George E. Nitzsche, The General Magazine and Historical Chronicle, University of Pennsylvania. General Alumni Society, pages 251:

     The pages of the diary are chock full of fascinating reports of medical incidents of all sorts.

   • 1846 October 1 – 1848 April 1, Charles Dickens, Dombey and Son, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1848, →OCLC, page 565:

     “Chock full o' science,” said the radiant Captain, “as ever he was! […] ”

   • 1928 August, E. E. Smith, “The Skylark of Space”, in Hugo Gernsback, editor, Amazing Stories‎, Preface:

     The story is chock full, not only of excellent science, but woven through it there is also that very rare element, love and romance.

Derived terms

• chock load

Translations

containing the maximum amount

Bulgarian: претъпкан (bg) (pretǎpkan) Dutch: tjokvol (nl), boordevol (nl) Esperanto: plenplena Faroese: kjokkfullur French: plein à craquer (fr) m, bourré (fr) m German: voller (de), voll bis zum Rand Italian: satollo (it), pieno zeppo m, farcito (it) Latin: effertus Ottoman Turkish: طولغون (dolgun) Russian: битко́м наби́тый m (bitkóm nabítyj), перепо́лненный (ru) m (perepólnennyj) Spanish: repleto (es) m, petado (es) m, a reventar, West Frisian: tsjokfol

See also

• chock-a-block
• chock-a-block full

References

1. Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “chock-full”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.