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Glite Dictionary
filler-upper

filler-upper

8.4
A person who gives more drinks or a quick snack that makes you less hungry for a short time
  • noun
  • /ˈfɪlərˌʌpər/
  • Informal
translation icon : relleno
  • This quick snack is just a filler-upper until dinner is ready.

Examples

  • The soup was a great filler-upper for a cold winter night.

  • At the party, she was the ultimate filler-upper, constantly refilling drinks.

  • The soup was a perfect filler-upper for the cold evening.

  • I need a good filler-upper for my lunch today.

  • This quick snack is just a filler-upper until dinner is ready.

  • The soup was a great filler-upper for a cold winter night.

  • At the party, she was the ultimate filler-upper, constantly refilling drinks.

Synonyms

filler
vsfiller-upper
12 3.9

A substance used to fill cracks, holes, or gaps in things

is a temporary supplier and can be a person rather than only material
fill-in
vsfiller-upper
6 3.5

A person who temporarily does another person's job

is a temporary supplier that can be either a person or a thing

How Lasting

permanent
650 3.2
long-term
502 3.0
filler-upper
  • Informal
8.4
stopgap
14 5.2

Surface Forms

filler-upper singular
filler-uppers plural

Morphology

filler-upper = fill up (semi-transparent) = up + fill + er

The combination 'fill up' is clear, but the specific meaning of 'filler-upper' as a temporary solution is not fully predictable.

Etymology

The word filler-upper comes from fill ('to make full'), the word up, and the ending -er which means 'one who does something' or 'a thing that does something'. So a filler-upper is a person or thing that 'fills up' a need or hunger for a short time, like a quick snack until dinner.