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

Spread half of the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. — ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026

The bright yellow doughnut has a shocking lemon filling topped with vanilla icing. — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026

To assemble, spread 1/3 of the crumbs in the bottom of the pie shell, spread the cooled filling over it, and spread another 1/3 of the crumbs over the filling. — David Morgan, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026

Their signature sand dollar hand pies were a highlight, with both sweet and savory fillings available. — Molly Allen, Travel + Leisure, 10 Aug. 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