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

Among the fillings are teriyaki chicken, tempura shrimp and shitake mushrooms. —Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025

The condiment is drizzled over sweet potatoes, ground beef, cottage cheese and avocado for a filling and protein-packed bowl. —Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 29 Dec. 2025

The result is a shatteringly crunchy exterior that gives way to a creamy, cheesy filling inside. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2025

Fold the sides of the wrapper around the mixture, leaving the top of the dumpling open with the filling exposed. —Mackensy Lunsford, Nashville Tennessean, 29 Dec. 2025

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