fill-in

[ fil-in ]

noun

1. a person or thing that fills in, as a substitute, replacement, or insertion:

   The company used a fill-in for workers on vacation.

2. a brief, informative summary; a rundown.

fill in

verb

1. tr to complete (a form, drawing, etc)
2. intr to act as a substitute

   a girl is filling in while the typist is away

3. tr to put material into (a hole or cavity), esp so as to make it level with a surface
4. informal.
   tr to inform with facts or news
5. slang.
   tr to attack and injure severely

noun

1. a substitute
2. informal.
   a briefing to complete one's understanding

Word History and Origins

Origin of fill-in¹

First recorded in 1915–20; noun use of verb phrase fill in

Example Sentences

“They’re like block parties and more eclectic than some of these big festivals. So we figured there was a space to fill in L.A. for that.”

From Los Angeles Times

His most recent work, published in The Plant Cell, used advancements in genomic research to fill in gaps of the original soybean reference genome.

From Science Daily

At my youngest child’s daycare, in Munich, Germany, parents are asked to fill in a chart at least a week in advance noting any specific days the child will be absent, like for scheduled travel.

From Salon

Sometimes they show that they don’t know what they don’t know, and fill in the blanks in their knowledge with fabrications — or as AI developers call them, “hallucinations.”

From Los Angeles Times

Or a person with this affliction will just make words up to fill in the gaps.

From Salon

Related Words

• fill out
• insert