in woven fabrics, the widthwise, or horizontal, yarns carried over and under the warp, or lengthwise, yarns and running from selvage to selvage. Filling yarns are generally made with less twist than are warp yarns because they are subjected to less strain in the weaving process and therefore require less strength.

In pile-fabric constructions, such as velvet or velveteen, extra sets of warps are used to form the pile. A single filling yarn is known as a pick, or shot. In textile finishing, filling is a sizing, or weighting, substance added to yarn or fabric to fill in open spaces or increase weight.