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

Startups and allied defense industries are filling it, and investors who track those contracts will find the positions before the consensus does.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

We ate revuelta at his favorite pupuseria, hot filling running over our fingers, locals watching me fumble with the etiquette.

From Slate • Apr. 12, 2026

We want to geek out with them about gear, and we look forward to having them filling in our foursomes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

A DIY-fanatic who became bored after retiring has come up with an unusual way of filling his days - creating supersized models of everyday household items.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

I lifted my chin and began a wedding song, the sweet sound of it filling my head.

From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff

Related Words

• dressing
• layer
• mixture
• stuffing