filling

[ fil-ing ]

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.

filling

/ 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

adjective

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

Other Words From

• self-filling adjective
• un·filling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of filling¹

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

Example Sentences

The game against the Lakers on Friday will be the eighth in which assistant coach Mitch Johnson will be filling in while Popovich recovers.

From Los Angeles Times

In the week since his re-election, Trump has prioritised filling leadership positions that would oversee immigration, suggesting he is preparing to tackle his plans for border policy early.

From BBC

For example, we buy the ducks whole for our dry-aged duck breasts and use the legs for the filling in our duck bun.

From Salon

England have had a problem filling the left-back position for a long time.

From BBC

I kind of perfected the filling over the years, and I don’t want to say it’s the perfect chair — because some people might say it’s too low or it’s too loud, or it ages — but I love sitting in them because the material, the history of the materials, feels not only comfortable to me but it’s this idea of being engaged with what I’m sitting in based off the mood I’m in.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dressing
• layer
• mixture
• stuffing