file
1[ fahyl ]
/ faɪl /
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noun
verb (used with object), filed, fil·ing.
verb (used without object), filed, fil·ing.
to march in a file or line, one after another, as soldiers: The parade filed past endlessly.
to make application: to file for a civil-service job.
SYNONYMS FOR file
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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
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Idioms for file
on file, arranged in order for convenient reference; in a file: The names are on file in the office.
Origin of file
1First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English verb filen, from Middle French filer “to string documents on a thread or wire,” Old French: “to wind or spin thread,” from Vulgar Latin fīlāre “to wind or spin thread,” from the Latin noun fīlum “a string, thread”; the English noun is derived from the verb
OTHER WORDS FROM file
file·a·ble, adjectivefiler, nounnon·fil·er, nounWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH file
file , phialWords nearby file
Definition for file (2 of 4)
file2
[ fahyl ]
/ faɪl /
noun
a long, narrow tool of steel or other metal having a series of ridges or points on its surfaces for reducing or smoothing surfaces of metal, wood, etc.
a small, similar tool for trimming and cleaning fingernails; nail file.
British Slang. a cunning, shrewd, or artful person.
verb (used with object), filed, fil·ing.
to reduce, smooth, or remove with or as if with a file.
Origin of file
2First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English fīl, fēol; cognate with German Feile; akin to Slavic (Polish) piła “saw”
OTHER WORDS FROM file
file·a·ble, adjectivefiler, nounDefinition for file (3 of 4)
file3
[ fahyl ]
/ faɪl /
verb (used with object), filed, fil·ing.Archaic.
to defile; corrupt.
Origin of file
3First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English fȳlan “to befoul, defile,” derivative of fūl foul
Definition for file (4 of 4)
filé
[ fi-ley, fee-ley ]
/ fɪˈleɪ, ˈfi leɪ /
noun New Orleans Cooking.
a powder made from the ground leaves of the sassafras tree, used as a thickener and to impart a pungent taste to soups, gumbos, and other dishes.
Also called filé powder .
Origin of filé
1800–10, Americanism;<Louisiana French; literally, twisted, ropy, stringy (perhaps originally applied to dishes thickened with the powder), past participle of French filer;see file1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for file
British Dictionary definitions for file (1 of 3)
file1
/ (faɪl) /
noun
verb
Derived forms of file
filer, nounWord Origin for file
C16 (in the sense: string on which documents are hung): from Old French filer, from Medieval Latin fīlāre; see filament
British Dictionary definitions for file (2 of 3)
file2
/ (faɪl) /
noun
a hand tool consisting essentially of a steel blade with small cutting teeth on some or all of its faces. It is used for shaping or smoothing metal, wood, etc
rare, British slang a cunning or deceitful person
verb
(tr) to shape or smooth (a surface) with a file
Derived forms of file
filer, nounWord Origin for file
Old English fīl; related to Old Saxon fīla, Old High German fīhala file, Greek pikros bitter, sharp
British Dictionary definitions for file (3 of 3)
file3
/ (faɪl) /
verb
(tr) obsolete to pollute or defile
Word Origin for file
Old English fӯlan; related to Middle Low German vülen; see defile 1, filth, foul
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Scientific definitions for file
file
[ fīl ]
A collection of related data or program records stored as a unit with a single name. Files are the basic units that a computer works with in storing and retrieving data.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Idioms and Phrases with file
file
see in single file; on file; rank and file.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.