fill | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

172 entries found.

mid-13c., fille, "a full supply," from Old English fyllu "fullness, 'fill,' feast, satiety," from Proto-Germanic *full-ino- "fullness" (source also of Old High German fulli, German Fülle, Old Norse fyllr), noun of state from *fullaz "full" (see full (adj.)). Meaning "extra material in music" is from 1934.

fill (v.)

Old English fyllan "to fill, make full, fill up, replenish, satisfy; complete, fulfill," from Proto-Germanic *fulljanan "to fill" (source also of Old Saxon fulljan, Old Norse fylla, Old Frisian fella, Dutch vullen, German füllen, Gothic fulljan "to fill, make full"), a derivative of adjective *fullaz "full" (see full (adj.)). Related: Filled.

To fill the bill (1882) originally was U.S. theatrical slang, in reference to a star of such magnitude his or her name would be the only one on a show's poster. To fill out "write in required matter" is recorded from 1880.

fill-in (n.)

"substitute," 1918 (as an adjective, 1916), from verbal phrase; see fill (v.), in (adv.). Earlier as a noun was fill-up (1811).

filling (adj.)

"calculated to fill or satisfy," 1620s, present-participle adjective from fill (v.).

overfill (v.)

"fill to excess," Old English oferfyllan; see over- + fill (v.). Related: Overfull; overfilling.

filler (n.)

late 15c., "one who fills," agent noun from fill (v.). Meaning "something used to fill" is from 1590s. Specifically of food products by 1901.

backfill (n.)

1900, "material taken from an excavation used to fill a depression," 1900, from back fill (v.), which is attested by 1880; see back (adv.) + fill (v.).

landfill (n.)

1916, from land (n.) + fill (n.). A euphemism for dump (n.).

filling (n.)

c. 1400, "that which fills or fills up," verbal noun from fill (v.). Dentistry sense is from 1848. Filling station attested by 1915.

refill (v.)

also re-fill, "to fill again," 1680s, from re- "back, again" + fill (v.). Related: Refilled; refilling.

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