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

Synonyms

• fill
• filler
• padding
• stuffing
• wadding

Examples of filling in a Sentence

a filling for a tooth

pies that need more filling

Recent Examples on the Web

To warm up individual pieces, use a toaster oven — not an upright toaster or else the filling and glaze will run — to gently warm the pastry before serving. Get the recipe. —Ben Mims, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2023

Add filling: Pour tomato mixture into dough in skillet; dot with butter. —Anna Theoktisto, Southern Living, 20 Sep. 2023

That’s because some pharmacists giving the shot are doing double duty filling prescriptions. —Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 20 Sep. 2023

Even better, the pillows are constructed in a way that helps prevent the filling from shifting around even after a night of tossing and turning. —Isabel Garcia, Peoplemag, 13 Sep. 2023

For Sarah Sanneh, the pie’s developer and a co-owner of Pies ‘n’ Thighs, that pie — a Concord grape filling set in a black-pepper shortbread crust — was an adult-size slice of childhood. —Yewande Komolafe, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2023

Bake, until filling is set around edges (will still jiggle slightly in center), 35 to 40 minutes. —Torie Cox, Country Living, 8 Sep. 2023

Brown rice flour and flaxseed meal make the tasty treats extra filling, while a brown sugar-walnut streusel and cream cheese icing are guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth. —Laura Denby, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Sep. 2023

This liquid sweetener keeps caramel from crystallizing, adds gooey body to pecan pie filling, and keeps cookies soft and chewy. —Zoe Denenberg, Bon Appétit, 14 Sep. 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing filling

• filling station

• filling station

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