What does "fill" mean?
Fill: To make full; to supply with as much as can be held or contained; to put or pour into, till no more can be received; to occupy the whole capacity of. The rain also filleth the pools. Ps. lxxxiv.
Additional senses
- 2.Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. Anf they filled them up to the brim. John ii.
- 3.2. To furnish an abudant supply to; to furnish with as mush as is desired or desirable; to occupy the whole of; to swarm in or overrun. And God blessed them, saying. Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas. Gen. i.
- 4.The Syrians filled the country. 1 Kings xx.
- 5.3. To fill or supply fully with food; to feed; to satisfy. Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fillso great a multitude Matt. xv.
- 6.Things that are sweet and fat are more filling. Bacon.
- 7.To possess and perform the duties of; to officiate in, as an incumbent; to occupy; to hold; as, a king fills a throne; the president fills the office of chief magistrate; the speaker of the House fills the chair.
- 8.To supply with an incumbent; as, to fill an office or a vacancy. A. Hamilton.
- 9.(Naut.) (a) To press and dilate, as a sail; as, the wind filled the sails. (b) To trim (a yard) so that the wind shall blow on the after side of the sails.
- 10.(Civil Engineering) To make an embankment in, or raise the level of (a low place), with earth or gravel. To fill in, to insert; as, he filled in the figures. -- To fill out, to extend or enlarge to the desired limit; to make complete; as, to fill out a bill. -- To fill up, to make quite full; to fill to the brim or entirely; to occupy completely; to complete. "The bliss that fills up all the mind." Pope. "And fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ." Col. i.
- 11.1. To become full; to have the whole capacity occupied; to have an abundant supply; to be satiated; as, corn fills well in a warm season; the sail fills with the wind.
- 12.To fill a cup or glass for drinking. Give me some wine; fill full. Shak. To back and fill. See under Back, v. i. -- To fill up, to grow or become quite full; as, the channel of the river fills up with sand.
- 13.A full supply, as much as supplies want; as much as gives complete satisfaction. "Ye shall eat your fill." Lev. xxv.
- 14.I'll bear thee hence, where I may weep my fill. Shak.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00