Low-spirited, Mr. filer, with his hands in his trousers-pockets.
I know that—I know that, Mr. filer; I will begin in a moment!
Mr. filer said to Ransom, as if he thought this suggestion practical.
He who had Toby's meat upon the fork called to the first one by the name of filer, and they both drew near together.
And now, said Hilda, leaning forward and smiling at him, you have heard me filer mon chapelet.
Our homestead not only had a cabin, but it boasted a small patch of sweet corn planted by the first filer on the land.
Mr. filer launched himself into the passage leading to the stage, and Selah rushed after him.
Mr. filer was heard to remark testily, that four times was over the average; and he ought to be ashamed of himself.
filer sticks in his throat rather, but all the rest is quivering in his heart.
They turned through a small side room, strangely silent by contrast to the rest, where the filer did his minute work.
1520s, "string or wire on which documents are strung," from French file "row," from Middle French filer (see file (v.)). The meaning "arranged collection of papers" is from 1620s; computer sense is from 1954. The military sense "line or row of men" (1590s) is from the French verb in the sense of "spin out (thread); march in file."
"to place (papers) in consecutive order for future reference," mid-15c., from Middle French filer "string documents on a wire for preservation or reference," from fil "thread, string" (12c.), from Latin filum "a thread, string," from PIE *gwhis-lom (cf. Armenian jil "sinew, string, line," Lithuanian gysla "vein, sinew," Old Church Slavonic zila "vein"), from root *gwhi- "thread, tendon." The notion is of documents hung up on a line.
File (filacium) is a threed or wyer, whereon writs, or other exhibits in courts, are fastened for the better keeping of them. [Cowel, "The Interpreter," 1607]Methods have become more sophisticated, but the word has stuck. Related: Filed; filing.
metal tool, Old English feol (Mercian fil), from Proto-Germanic *finkhlo (cf. Old Saxon and Old High German fila, Middle Dutch vile, Dutch vijl, German Feile), probably from PIE *peig- "to cut, mark by incision" (see paint (v.)). The verb in this sense is from early 13c., from Old English filian. Related: Filed; filing.
noun
Related Terms
[first sense perhaps fr the tool; perhaps related to French filou, ''pickpocket'']
