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 Word Forms

• self-filling adjective
• unfilling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of filling¹

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

Example Sentences

The service was crowded, with people filling the aisles and any other available space.

From BBC

One is the speed with which China is filling the vacuum left by America's withdrawal from international norms and institutions.

From BBC

He had no coaching experience, aside from filling in for a few weeks as an assistant baseball coach for Dreyer at 14.

From Los Angeles Times

It's my final week filling in for regular BBC Sport FPL expert Thomas Woods and, after crunching the numbers, I'm confident this side will help me sign off on a high.

From BBC

Notting Hill Carnival's children's parade kicked off on Sunday morning, filling the streets of west London with colour and sound.

From BBC

Related Words

• dressing 
• layer 
• mixture 
• stuffing