bankfull
|bank-full|
/ˈbæŋkfʊl/
full to the banks
Etymology
'bankfull' is a Modern English compound formed from 'bank' + 'full'; 'bank' (meaning the edge of a river or mound) and 'full' (meaning filled).
'bank' comes into English via Old Norse 'bakki' (meaning 'bank, ridge') and Middle English adopted it as 'bank'; 'full' comes from Old English 'full'. These elements combined in Modern English to form the compound 'bankful'/'bankfull' used in technical contexts.
The compound originally simply described being 'as full as the bank'; over time it became a technical term in hydrology meaning the stage when water just fills the channel to the top of its banks.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
(of a river or stream) filled to the top of its banks; at the bankfull stage and likely to overflow if water level rises further.
After the prolonged storm the channel was bankfull and crews monitored levees for possible breaches.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/12 01:12