brainful

Etymology

From brain + -ful.

Why this word is great

BRAINFUL — [Noun, Adjective] (noun) The amount of information or thought one can hold in mind at once; (adj) Pertaining to or characterized by mental activity. From Middle English 'brain' (the organ of thought) + '-ful' (a suffix meaning 'full of' or 'characterized by'). Unlike 'mindful' (which implies conscious awareness) or 'thoughtful' (which suggests reflection), 'brainful' measures the raw volume of cognition—the weight of ideas pressing against the skull. It is the sensation of a dozen half-formed sentences crowding the tongue, the flicker of too many browser tabs open behind the eyes, or the hum of a crowded café at dawn—proof that the mind, too, has its limits, and that even thought can be a burden.

noun

  1. As much as one person can think about or hold in mind at one time.“A heartful of desire, man's natural load, A brainful of belief, the noble's lot,—”

adj

  1. Characterized by brain activity; cerebral.“Stephens dubbed him, the Peter the Hermit of the tragic secession that drove to a head the great civil revolution, were of the brainful and dominant Scotch-Irish blood, and exemplified its traits and powers.”