stuffing

American  

[stuhf-ing] / ˈstʌf ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that stuffs.

2. a material or substance used to stuff something.

3. Cooking. seasoned breadcrumbs or other filling used to stuff a chicken, turkey, etc., before cooking.

4. Informal. internal parts; insides.

   to beat the stuffing out of an opponent.

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stuffing British  

/ ˈstʌfɪŋ /

noun

1. the material with which something is stuffed

2. a mixture of chopped and seasoned ingredients with which poultry, meat, etc, is stuffed before cooking

3. to upset or dishearten someone completely

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Other Word Forms

• understuffing noun

Etymology

Origin of stuffing

First recorded in 1520–30; stuff + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

So he began typing up a summary of the top headlines and stuffing copies in people’s mailboxes.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

But for others, it has turned into an opportunity to flex their money-saving muscles — even to the point of stuffing socks and underwear in those holiday baskets.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026

When I was a kid, packing for sleepaway camp, I’d load up a Kindle with books to avoid stuffing my duffels even more.

From Slate • Mar. 8, 2026

To succeed in these increasingly common AI video assessments, candidates should rehearse their responses, avoid keyword stuffing and try not to act like robots themselves, writes Ray A. Smith.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

I have good memories of laughing and stuffing our faces with too many sweet dates.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

Related Words

• dressing
• filling