fill-in
a person or thing that fills in, as a substitute, replacement, or insertion: The company used a fill-in for workers on vacation.
a brief, informative summary; a rundown.
Origin of fill-in
1Words Nearby fill-in
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use fill-in in a sentence
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).
Michael Tomasky on Obama’s Problem With Jewish Voters in November | Michael Tomasky | April 24, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd there is no talk of Couric anchoring, except perhaps as an occasional fill-in.
He guested as a lay preacher on the Hour of Power and dabbled in talk radio as a fill-in for Boortz.
Rising above mere fill-in status when called upon in a pinch, "The Accidental Senator" keeps the (prevailing) party going strong.
"He's an engineer fill-in," said Orrin with a trace of doubt in his voice.
Jack of No Trades | Charles Cottrell
An illustration which makes a handsome showing in the original will inevitably fill-in when reduced to actual size.
From Xylographs to Lead Molds; A.D. 1440-A.D. 1921 | H. C. ForsterThe largest number of fill-in wefts occurs roughly at a point about a third up from the end.
Chincha Plain-weave cloths | Lila M. O'Neale
British Dictionary definitions for fill in
(tr) to complete (a form, drawing, etc)
(intr) to act as a substitute: a girl is filling in while the typist is away
(tr) to put material into (a hole or cavity), esp so as to make it level with a surface
(tr) informal to inform with facts or news
(tr) British slang to attack and injure severely
a substitute
US informal a briefing to complete one's understanding
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with fill-in
Complete something, especially by supplying more information or detail. For example, Be sure to fill in your salary history. It is also put as fill in the blanks, as in We'll rely on Mary to fill in the blanks. Yet another related usage is fill someone in, as in I couldn't attend, so will you fill me in? The first term dates from the mid-1800s; the others from the first half of the 1900s. Also see fill out.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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