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. textiles another term for weft

adjective

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

Other Word Forms

• self-filling adjective
• unfilling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of filling¹

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

Example Sentences

Two weeks have passed since the representative-elect handily won Arizona’s special election, filling a seat vacated by her deceased father.

Read more on Salon

Instead of selling at a loss, Mr Smith is filling his grain storage bins, in the hopes of better prices come spring.

Read more on BBC

After filling in the online form, Judy was invited to a photoshoot in Manchester and was asked to pay £200 for five professional images that would supposedly be shared with modelling agencies.

Read more on BBC

He was hit at least six times while sitting in his BMW car, minutes after stopping at a filling station.

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“We were filling a void in the marketplace.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dressing 
• layer 
• mixture 
• stuffing