filler

/ˈfɪlər/
noun
  1. A substance used to fill a hole, crack, or gap in a surface.
    • He used wood filler to repair the scratch on the table.
    • The painter applied wall filler to smooth out the dents before painting.
    • You can buy a tube of filler at the hardware store for small cracks.
  2. Something added to take up space or time without adding much value or meaning.
    • The article was mostly filler, with very little real information.
    • During the long meeting, the speaker used jokes as filler to avoid awkward silence.
    • The TV show had a lot of filler scenes that didn't advance the plot.
  3. A material used to add bulk or weight to a product, often to make it cheaper.
    • Some cheap pet foods use corn as a filler instead of real meat.
    • The manufacturer added filler to the detergent to reduce production costs.
    • Check the label to see if the product contains artificial fillers.
adjective
  1. Designed to fill a space or gap, often temporarily or without importance.
    • The editor rejected the filler article because it was too short.
    • We need a filler episode while we wait for the main story to be ready.
    • The filler content on the website helped keep visitors engaged.