Etymology

fill out

Today it means: To complete a form or questionnaire with requested information. Full definition →

German ausfüllen
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The story

  1. German · calque ofausfüllen
  2. English todayfill out

In the sense of to complete a form, originally attested in American English; possibly as a calque of German ausfüllen. Later spread to British English, where it now competes with the traditional expression fill in.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.