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; see origin at fill, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

And it is these clubs, backed by the Premier League millions, who are filling the secondary competitions.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

Shares found strength after filling the gap from the May 5 session and successfully reclaimed the 200-day simple moving average last week.

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

Now insurer portfolios are filling up with products created by related private-equity firms such as Apollo Asset Management and Brookfield Asset Management.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

Corporate earnings calls show consumers are trying to find the cheapest gas possible and filling up less.

From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026

We all turned to see Aunt Fanny Hamline filling up the door frame.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Related Words

• dressing
• layer
• mixture
• stuffing