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

People affected by the water main break can get clean water at two different water filling stations in Upper Chichester and Marcus Hook. —Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2026

For the latter, a federal program known as 340B does an immense amount of good filling in the gaps in drug affordability. —Demetrius Atsalis, Boston Herald, 27 Mar. 2026

Prebake a crust, whisk together a filling, pour it into the pie shell and let the oven do the rest. —Georgeanne Brennan, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026

For example, a small cavity that needs a quick filling might cost $200. —Blake Farmer, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 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