- present participle of fill.
filling
Americannoun
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an act or instance of filling.
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something that is put in to fill something else.
They used sand as filling for the depression.
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Dentistry. a substance such as cement, amalgam, gold, or the like, used to fill a cavity caused by decay in a tooth.
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a food mixture that goes into something, as if to fill it.
sandwich filling; pie filling.
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Also called pick, weft, woof. Textiles. yarn carried by the shuttle and interlacing at right angles with the warp in woven cloth.
noun
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the substance or thing used to fill a space or container
pie filling
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dentistry
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any of various substances (metal, plastic, etc) for inserting into the prepared cavity of a tooth
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the cavity of a tooth so filled
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textiles another term for weft
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of filling
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at fill, -ing 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
This time, the man who wrote that prescription for four decades has stopped filling it.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
The off day Monday allows them to get through this coming week without filling Ohtani’s spot in the rotation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
The filling is the same: bright green pistachio butter mixed with tahini paste and toasted kataifi, or thin strands of shredded phyllo dough pastry.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
It is expected that both the BBC and ITV will screen the full show, with punditry filling the gap while the stadium staging is put up and taken down.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
The knowledge was like a siren, filling the room.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Possible applications could include professional treatments for enamel erosion, products for sensitive teeth, and materials designed to improve the durability of fillings or other restorations.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026
They agreed to pay half a cent more at the cash register to fund buses, trains and pothole fillings in 2016.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026
The union said the sums that could be earned in the private sector for things like new patient exams, fillings and extractions were twice what the NHS paid.
From BBC ● Mar. 4, 2026
It is on its fourth cheese supplier, and still is trying to figure out how to keep the cheese from disintegrating while the shell waits for fillings like ground beef and yet-more cheese.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 22, 2025
Rollins wondered if he should check the fillings in his teeth.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
