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
• packing

Examples of filling in a Sentence

a filling for a tooth

pies that need more filling

Recent Examples on the Web

Chill piecrust round while preparing filling. —Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 30 Sep. 2025

The combination of fluffy dough, cinnamon filling, and sweet icing is nothing short of baking magic. —Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Sep. 2025

Minnesota will be aggressive filling whatever holes spring up, and Reeve has proven to be resourceful. —Ben Pickman, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025

Whitening strips also do not work on crowns, fillings, veneers, implants, and other similar products. —Sherri Gordon, Health, 25 Sep. 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