- present participle of fill.
filling
Americannoun
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an act or instance of filling.
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something that is put in to fill something else.
They used sand as filling for the depression.
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Dentistry. a substance such as cement, amalgam, gold, or the like, used to fill a cavity caused by decay in a tooth.
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a food mixture that goes into something, as if to fill it.
sandwich filling; pie filling.
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Also called pick, weft, woof. Textiles. yarn carried by the shuttle and interlacing at right angles with the warp in woven cloth.
noun
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the substance or thing used to fill a space or container
pie filling
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dentistry
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any of various substances (metal, plastic, etc) for inserting into the prepared cavity of a tooth
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the cavity of a tooth so filled
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textiles another term for weft
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of filling
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at fill, -ing 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Yet Barclays analysts expect the U.S. to face a roughly $2 trillion budget deficit in 2026, and see Treasury issuance playing a role in filling that gap.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 26, 2026
The off day Monday allows them to get through this coming week without filling Ohtani’s spot in the rotation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
You can even take it a step further and whip your goat cheese with cream cheese, salt and fresh herbs for a tangier and more aromatic filling.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
But ahead of his first address on Monday, the incoming prime minister has remained coy about who will be filling the top roles in his cabinet.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
Her eyes pooled slowly, like a sink filling with water.
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Possible applications could include professional treatments for enamel erosion, products for sensitive teeth, and materials designed to improve the durability of fillings or other restorations.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026
They agreed to pay half a cent more at the cash register to fund buses, trains and pothole fillings in 2016.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026
"Also things like your fillings, again, just being careful with the amount of fat that you're cooking them in."
From BBC ● Dec. 24, 2025
Nori should stay crisp, which makes this a fantastic interactive dinner-party setup: lay out the fillings, rice, and sheets of nori, and let everyone build as they go.
From Salon ● Dec. 4, 2025
Rollins wondered if he should check the fillings in his teeth.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
