filling

American  

[fil-ing] / ˈfɪl ɪŋ /

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.

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filling British  

/ 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

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adjective

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

Other Word Forms

• self-filling adjective
• unfilling adjective

Etymology

Origin of filling

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

Example Sentences

Smoked salmon is high in protein, rich in fat, filling without being heavy — the kind of food that actually stabilizes you.

From Salon

The panel will also look at the city’s handling of development, the process of filling vacant council seats and the procedure for censuring officials.

From Los Angeles Times

Because adults supply food and protection, young mammals tend to share the same diet and habitat as their parents, filling similar ecological roles.

From Science Daily

After these carriage rides, bouquets of “the richest and rarest” flowers arrived for Maggie, their seductive scent filling the bridal suite.

From Literature

She has been filling plastic bottles with hot water to keep warm.

From Barron's

Related Words

• dressing
• layer
• mixture
• stuffing