fill-in

[ fil-in ]

noun

1. a person or thing that fills in, as a substitute, replacement, or insertion:

   The company used a fill-in for workers on vacation.

2. a brief, informative summary; a rundown.

fill in

verb

1. tr to complete (a form, drawing, etc)
2. intr to act as a substitute

   a girl is filling in while the typist is away

3. tr to put material into (a hole or cavity), esp so as to make it level with a surface
4. informal.
   tr to inform with facts or news
5. slang.
   tr to attack and injure severely

noun

1. a substitute
2. informal.
   a briefing to complete one's understanding

Word History and Origins

Origin of fill-in¹

First recorded in 1915–20; noun use of verb phrase fill in

Example Sentences

I reported on those early days for New York magazine, where I doing a little fill-in guest slot (and where I worked years ago).

From The Daily Beast

And there is no talk of Couric anchoring, except perhaps as an occasional fill-in.

From The Daily Beast

He guested as a lay preacher on the Hour of Power and dabbled in talk radio as a fill-in for Boortz.

From The Daily Beast

Rising above mere fill-in status when called upon in a pinch, "The Accidental Senator" keeps the (prevailing) party going strong.

From The Daily Beast

"He's an engineer fill-in," said Orrin with a trace of doubt in his voice.

From Project Gutenberg

An illustration which makes a handsome showing in the original will inevitably fill-in when reduced to actual size.

From Project Gutenberg

The largest number of fill-in wefts occurs roughly at a point about a third up from the end.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• fill out
• insert