# filling

/ˈfɪɫɪŋ/ (US) · /fˈɪlɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/filling
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. food inside something

noun · CEFR A2

the food that is put inside a sandwich, pie, or cake.

For teachers: the edible substance used to occupy the interior of a pastry, sandwich, or confection.

- The sandwich had a delicious filling of roasted chicken and fresh salad.
- The chef experimented with a savory mushroom filling for the tart, balancing the earthy flavors with a hint of fresh thyme.

### 2. dental repair

noun · CEFR B1

the material a dentist puts into a hole in your tooth to fix it.

For teachers: a quantity of material, such as amalgam or composite resin, used to occupy a cavity in a tooth.

- I have to go to the dentist tomorrow because one of my fillings fell out.
- Modern dental practices often favor tooth-colored composite fillings over traditional silver amalgam for aesthetic reasons.

### 3. satisfying hunger

adjective · CEFR B1

food that makes you feel full and satisfied quickly.

For teachers: describing food that provides a high degree of satiety, often due to its density or fiber content.

- A bowl of hot oatmeal is a very filling breakfast on a cold morning.
- The stew was remarkably filling, containing a dense mixture of root vegetables and lentils that satisfied the hikers after their long journey.

### 4. general filler

noun · CEFR B2

any material used to fill a space or a hole.

For teachers: any substance or material employed to occupy a void or cavity in a structural or industrial context.

- The workers used a soft filling to pack the boxes so the glass wouldn't break.
- The restoration team used a specialized lime-based filling to repair the cracks in the historic masonry without damaging the original stone.

## Examples

- The chocolate filling in this cake is delicious.
- The dentist told me that my old silver filling needs to be replaced with a white one.
- While the pastry crust was perfectly flaky, the savory mushroom filling lacked the seasoning required to balance the richness of the butter.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.