file

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file

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• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /faɪl/,

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪl

From Old French fil (“thread”), from Latin fīlum (“thread”). Doublet of filum.

file (plural files)

1. A collection of papers collated and archived together.
   • c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     It is upon a file with the duke's other letters.

   • 1968 April 5, Paul Simon, “Mrs. Robinson”, in Bookends‎, performed by Simon & Garfunkel:

     We'd like to know a little bit about you for our files
     We'd like to help you learn to help yourself

2. A roll or list.
   • c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     a file of all the gentry

3. A course of thought; a thread of narration.
   • 1642, Henry Wotton, A Short View of the Life and Death of George Villiers:

     Let me resume the file of my narration.

5. (computing) An aggregation of data on a storage device, identified by a name.

   I'm going to delete these unwanted files to free up some disk space.

6. (Should we delete⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (computing) The primary item on the menu bar, containing commands such as open, save, print, etc.
7. A row of modular kitchen units and a countertop, consisting of cabinets and appliances below (dishwasher) and next to (stove/cooker) a countertop.

   Many homes now have double-file kitchens.

8. (Canada, US) Clipping of file cabinet.
   • 2010, Beth Critchley Charlton, Englaging the DisEngaged‎, page 71:

     The Nonfiction Vertical File: I spent my university years working in the library at the Maritime School of Social Work. One of my responsibilities was to keep the library's vertical file up to date. The vertical file was a cabinet full of current newspaper and magazine clippings on topics of interest to the students and faculty of the school.

• (collection): document, paper

file (third-person singular simple present files, present participle filing, simple past and past participle filed)

1. (transitive) To commit (official papers) to some office.

   She filed their accounts yesterday.

   • 2012 May 27, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “New Kid On The Block” (season 4, episode 8; originally aired 11/12/1992)”, in The Onion AV Club‎:

     The episode’s unwillingness to fully commit to the pathos of the Bart-and-Laura subplot is all the more frustrating considering its laugh quota is more than filled by a rollicking B-story that finds Homer, he of the iron stomach and insatiable appetite, filing a lawsuit against The Frying Dutchman when he’s hauled out of the eatery against his will after consuming all of the restaurant’s shrimp (plus two plastic lobsters).

2. (transitive) (of a journalist) To submit (an article) to a newspaper or similar publication.

   I filed my copy soon after the interview.

3. (transitive) To place in an archive in a logical place and order.

   Troves of documents filed away in the depository.

4. (transitive) To store a file (aggregation of data) on a storage medium such as a disc or another computer.
6. (intransitive, with for, chiefly law) To submit a formal request to some office.

   She filed for divorce the next day.

   The company filed for bankruptcy when the office opened on Monday.

   They filed for a refund under their warranty.

7. (transitive, obsolete) To set in order; to arrange, or lay away.
   • 1606, Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, “The Woman-Hater”, in Comedies and Tragedies , London: Humphrey Robinson, , and for Humphrey Moseley , published 1679, →OCLC, Act I, scene ii:

     I would have my several courses and my dishes well filed.

From French file, from filer (“to spin out, arrange one behind another”), from Latin fīlāre, from filum (“thread”).

file (plural files)

2. A column of people one behind another, whether "single file" or in a grid pattern.

   Antonym: rank

   The troops marched in Indian file.

3. (military) A small detachment of soldiers.
5. (chess) One of the eight vertical lines of squares on a chessboard (i.e., those identified by a letter).

   Antonym: rank

file (third-person singular simple present files, present participle filing, simple past and past participle filed)

1. (intransitive) To move in a file.

   The applicants kept filing into the room until it was full.

From Middle English file, fyle, from Old English fēl, fēol (“file”), from earlier fīil, from Proto-Germanic *finhlō, *finhilō (“file, rasp”), from Proto-Indo-European *peyḱ- (“to adorn, form”). Cognate with West Frisian file (“file”), Dutch vijl (“file”), German Feile (“file”).

file (plural files)

2. A tool consisting of a strip or rod of hardened and coarse metal, used for removing sharp edges, shaping, and cutting, especially through metal; usually a hand tool.

   Hypernym: tool

   Hyponym: rasp (sometimes construed as coordinate)

3. (slang, archaic) A cunning or resourceful person.
   • 1857–1859, W M Thackeray, The Virginians. A Tale of the Last Century, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury & Evans, , published 1858–1859, →OCLC:

     Will is an old file, in spite of his smooth face.

   • 1743, Henry Fielding, The Life and Death of Jonathan Wild, the Great:

     The greatest character among them was that of a Pickpocket, or, in truer language, a File.

file (third-person singular simple present files, present participle filing, simple past and past participle filed)

1. (transitive) To smooth, grind, or cut with a file.

   I'd better file the bottoms of the table legs. Otherwise they will scratch the flooring.

   • 1879, R J, chapter II, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., , →OCLC:

     Orion hit a rabbit once; but though sore wounded it got to the bury, and, struggling in, the arrow caught the side of the hole and was drawn out. Indeed, a nail filed sharp is not of much avail as an arrowhead; you must have it barbed, and that was a little beyond our skill.

• file down
• file off
• filing
• unfiled

From Middle English filen (“to defile”), from Old English fȳlan (“to defile, make foul”), from Proto-West Germanic *fūlijan (“to make foul”). More at defile.

file (third-person singular simple present files, present participle filing, simple past and past participle filed)

1. (archaic) To defile.
   • 1593, anonymous author, The Life and Death of Iacke Straw , Act I:

     I cannot thinke So true a bird would file ſo faire a neſt,

   • c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     for Banquo's issue have I fil'd my mind

2. To corrupt.

• flie, elif, life, lief, Life, Fiel

Borrowed from French file (“line, row”), from Late Latin filare, from Latin filum (“thread”). Related to fileren (“to fillet”) and file (“computer file”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈfilə/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: fi‧le

file f (plural files, diminutive filetje n)

1. traffic jam

   Synonym: opstopping

2. (dated) queue

   Synonym: rij

From English file (“computer file”), from Old French fil (“thread”), from Latin filum (“thread”). Related to fileren (“to fillet”) and file (“queue, traffic jam”).

• IPA^(key): /fɑi̯l/, /fɛi̯l/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: file

file m (plural files, diminutive filetje n)

1. (computing) file (an aggregation of data on a storage device identified by a name)

• lief

fil- + -e

• IPA^(key): /ˈfile/
• Rhymes: -ile
• Hyphenation: fi‧le

file

1. filially (in a filial manner or way)

• IPA^(key): /ˈfileˣ/,
• Rhymes: -ile
• Syllabification^(key): fi‧le
• Hyphenation^(key): fi‧le

file

1. Alternative form of filee.

• “file”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja ‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

From fil or the verb filer.

• IPA^(key): /fil/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Homophones: fil, filent, files, fils, Phil, -phile

file f (plural files)

1. a line of objects placed one after the other
2. (Belgium) traffic jam

   Synonyms: bouchon, embouteillage

• → Dutch: file (“queue, traffic jam”)
• → English: file (“column of people”)
• → Spanish: fila

file

1. inflection of filer:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative

• “file”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.

• fiel

From Old Irish fili, from Primitive Irish ᚃᚓᚂᚔᚈᚐᚄ (velitas), from Proto-Celtic *welīts.

• IPA^(key): /ˈfʲɪlʲə/
• (Ulster, also) IPA^(key): /ˈfʲɨ̞lʲə/

file m (genitive singular file, nominative plural filí)

1. poet

Archaic declension:

• filíocht
• pribhléid an fhile (“poetic licence”)

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “file”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Unadapted borrowing from English file.

• IPA^(key): /ˈfa.il/
• Rhymes: -ail

file m (invariable)

1. (computing) file

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

• IPA^(key): /ˈfi.le/
• Rhymes: -ile
• Hyphenation: fì‧le

file f

1. plural of fila

• elfi

• fele, fileh, fillah, fille

From Arabic فَلَّاح (fallāḥ), from Classical Syriac ܦܠܚܐ (pallāḥā). Sedentary Armenians called so after their way of life by nomadic Kurds. Doublet of pale.

file m or f

1. Armenian
2. Christian
3. peasant, farmer

• filekî (Armenian language)
• filetî (Christianity)

• Jaba, Auguste, Justi, Ferdinand (1879) Dictionnaire Kurde-Français , Saint Petersburg: Imperial Academy of Sciences, page 294b
• Kurdojev, K. K. (1960) “file”, in Курдско-русский словарь , Moscow: Государственное издательство иностранных и национальных словарей, page 263a

From fil f (“a file”).

• fila (a infinitive)

file (present tense filar/filer, past tense fila/filte, past participle fila/filt, passive infinitive filast, present participle filande, imperative file/fil)

1. (transitive) To use a file to file.
2. (transitive) To rub (making a sound).
3. (transitive, figurative) To polish, refine.

Probably related to Swedish fil.

file m (definite singular filen, indefinite plural filar, definite plural filane)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

• “file” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

file

1. Alternative form of fil

From Latin filia.

file f (plural files)

1. girl
2. daughter

• fiu

file

1. inflection of filar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

• IPA^(key): /filéː/
• Hyphenation: fi‧lé

filẹ̑ m inan

1. fillet

The diacritics used in this section of the entry are non-tonal. If you are a native tonal speaker, please help by adding the tonal marks.

file

1. inflection of filar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

-file (infinitive kufile)

1. (Sheng) to file (to make a formal request)

From French filée.

• IPA^(key): /ˈfi.le/, /fiˈle/
• Hyphenation: fi‧le

file (definite accusative fileyi, plural fileler)

1. A net made of wool, cotton etc.; mesh.
2. A meshwork bag used for shopping.
3. A hairnet.
4. (sports) A net inside the goal in games like association football, handball etc.
5. (sports) A net that divides the court in games like tennis, volleyball, badminton etc.