filling

noun

fill·​ing ˈfi-liŋ 

1

: an act or instance of filling

2

: something used to fill a cavity, container, or depression

3

: something that completes: such as

a

: the yarn interlacing the warp in a fabric

also : yarn for the shuttle

b

: a food mixture used to fill pastry or sandwiches

a fruit filling

Synonyms of filling

• fill
• packing

Examples of filling in a Sentence

a filling for a tooth

pies that need more filling

Recent Examples on the Web

My real allegiance, if burritos can inspire allegiance, is to the northern-Mexican style, made with a modest amount of filling and rolled into a consequentially narrower cylinder. —Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 3 May 2026

In addition, high pulp not from concentrate, which can contain extra fiber, can be more filling and better for blood sugar control. —Gavin Escott, USA Today, 1 May 2026

The cake features two layers of dark chocolate cake sandwiching a thick layer of brownie batter-like filling. —Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 1 May 2026

Each of these boxes contains a dozen Belgian chocolates in a range of flavors and fillings, including milk chocolate nougat, pistachio, caramel, and hazelnut. —Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 1 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing filling

• filling station

Rhymes for filling

• billing
• chilling
• drilling
• grilling
• killing
• milling
• pilling
• rilling
• schilling
• shilling
• skilling
• spilling

Kids Definition

filling

noun

fill·​ing ˈfil-iŋ 

1

: material that is used to fill something

a filling for a tooth

2

: something that completes: as

a

: the yarn crossing over and under the warp in a fabric

b

: a food mixture used to fill pastry or sandwiches

Medical Definition

filling

noun

fill·​ing ˈfil-iŋ 

1

: material (as gold or amalgam) used to fill a cavity in a tooth

2

: simple sporadic lymphangitis of the leg of a horse commonly due to overfeeding and insufficient exercise