filling

[ fil-ing ]

noun

1. an act or instance of filling.
2. something that is put in to fill something else:

   They used sand as filling for the depression.

3. Dentistry. a substance such as cement, amalgam, gold, or the like, used to fill a cavity caused by decay in a tooth.
4. a food mixture that goes into something, as if to fill it:

   sandwich filling; pie filling.

5. Also called pick, weft, woof. Textiles. yarn carried by the shuttle and interlacing at right angles with the warp in woven cloth.

filling

/ ˈfɪlɪŋ /

noun

1. the substance or thing used to fill a space or container

   pie filling

2. dentistry
   1. any of various substances (metal, plastic, etc) for inserting into the prepared cavity of a tooth
   2. the cavity of a tooth so filled
3. See weft
   textiles another term for weft

adjective

1. (of food or a meal) substantial and satisfying

Other Words From

• self-filling adjective
• un·filling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of filling¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; fill, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

A couple dozen neighbors and friends were casting nets helter-skelter, opening and filling coolers—lids askew, barely containing the burgeoning kicking and jumping crustaceans.

From Popular-Science

Next day they crossed the bridge again but swung west from Highway 101 to visit the farm town of Tomales, not much more than a main street of stores and a filling station.

From Eater

In other words, bing has become shorthand for an endless array of flour-based, round, and flat items that can be the vehicle for sauces like hoisin and chili and fillings like scallions, ham, and pickled things.

From Eater

This two-liter hydration bladder has an easy slide-seal top opening that closes tightly, but also provides wide access for easy filling and cleaning.

From Popular-Science

Ethiopia had in the past asserted that the filling of the dam should not be subject to the conclusion of an agreement—a condition that it feared would weaken its position in the negotiations.

From Quartz

He should be free, filling the world with happiness, love and his fighting spirit.

From The Daily Beast

While the Met reported filling 92% of its seats in 2008, that number fell to 79% in 2013.

From The Daily Beast

Senate Democrats face a choice: pushing through AG nominee Loretta Lynch, or filling 231 executive-branch vacancies.

From The Daily Beast

Mr. Wynd said the shrinking process includes filling the head with hot sand and boiling it with herbs.

From The Daily Beast

Screen-filling enemies like the aforementioned dragon come early and they come often.

From The Daily Beast

Some of the soldiers secured the porter from creating an alarm; and the rest filling the hall, fastened the door.

From Project Gutenberg

As they went cutting sidewise through the water, the sails bellied taut, with the wind filling and overflowing them.

From Project Gutenberg

Let an interval elapse between the filling of succeeding pipes.

From Project Gutenberg

These stems, with the refuse of other tobacco, are sometime used as filling for the commonest kind of cigars.

From Project Gutenberg

The filling is known as tripa, the very best being selected, like the leaf, for the best cigars.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• dressing
• layer
• mixture
• stuffing