single file
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of single file
First recorded in 1660–70
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At one point, visitors were prompted to walk in a single file line past two Secret Service officers holding rifles.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
One by one, cattle fall behind him single file to consume a breakfast of ground corn and hay.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 15, 2026
Drone footage from the weekend showed long lines of men and boys standing or walking in single file.
From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2024
Compared to cells moving in a single file, clusters were much slower.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 19, 2024
Michelangelo walked behind him, and after him, the children padded along in single file, their leather soles scuffing against the stones.
From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
