filling

1 of 2

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

filling

2 of 2

present participle of fill entry 1

Synonyms of filling

Noun

• fill
• packing

Examples of filling in a Sentence

Noun

a filling for a tooth

pies that need more filling

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Three kinds of cheese are mixed into the buttery filling before the dough is rolled up cinnamon roll-style and baked until golden. — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Aug. 2026

First, prep your sandwich with any fillings, then place it into the cutter to cut and seal in one step. — ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026

Savory pastries include bacon-egg croissants, spanakopita turnovers and vols-au-vent, which are like birds’ nests of puff pastry stuffed with hearty fillings. — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026

Inside, down-alternative filling gives it a fluffy feel, while box stitching keeps the fill from shifting around. — Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

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