filling

noun

fill·​ing ˈfi-liŋ 

1

: an act or instance of filling

2

: something used to fill a cavity, container, or depression

3

: something that completes: such as

a

: the yarn interlacing the warp in a fabric

also : yarn for the shuttle

b

: a food mixture used to fill pastry or sandwiches

a fruit filling

Synonyms of filling

• fill
• packing

Examples of filling in a Sentence

a filling for a tooth

pies that need more filling

Recent Examples on the Web

Molinaroli sees his effort as a laboratory for social change because education for him is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. —William Jones, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2026

Fold bottom corner of wrapper over filling, tucking it underneath. —Holly Riordan, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Jan. 2026

Comes in three flavors cream cheese, cinnamon and the French King Cake, known as the Galette De Rois, which is made of puff pastry with almond marzipan filling. —Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 8 Jan. 2026

Plus, the bottom of the bag can be expanded an additional four inches, giving you even more filling and packing capacity. —Michelle Baricevic, Travel + Leisure, 7 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing filling

• filling station

Rhymes for filling

• billing
• chilling
• drilling
• grilling
• killing
• milling
• pilling
• rilling
• schilling
• shilling
• skilling
• spilling

Kids Definition

filling

noun

fill·​ing ˈfil-iŋ 

1

: material that is used to fill something

a filling for a tooth

2

: something that completes: as

a

: the yarn crossing over and under the warp in a fabric

b

: a food mixture used to fill pastry or sandwiches

Medical Definition

filling

noun

fill·​ing ˈfil-iŋ 

1

: material (as gold or amalgam) used to fill a cavity in a tooth

2

: simple sporadic lymphangitis of the leg of a horse commonly due to overfeeding and insufficient exercise