file

¹file

noun \ˈfī(-ə)l\

Definition of FILE

1

: a tool usually of hardened steel with cutting ridges for forming or smoothing surfaces especially of metal

2

: a shrewd or crafty person

Origin of FILE

Middle English, from Old English fēol; akin to Old High German fīla file

First Known Use: before 12th century

²file

transitive verb

filedfil·ing

Definition of FILE

: to rub, smooth, or cut away with or as if with a file

First Known Use of FILE

13th century

Rhymes with FILE

dial, isle, pile, smile, spile, stile, style, tile, trial, while, wile

³file

transitive verb

filedfil·ing

Definition of FILE

chiefly dialect

: defile, corrupt

Origin of FILE

Middle English, from Old English fȳlan, from fūl foul

First Known Use: before 12th century

⁴file

verb

filedfil·ing

Definition of FILE

transitive verb

1

: to arrange in order for preservation and reference <file letters>

2

a : to place among official records as prescribed by law <file a mortgage>

b : to send (copy) to a newspaper <filed a story>

c : to return to the office of the clerk of a court without action on the merits

3

: to initiate (as a legal action) through proper formal procedure <threatened to file charges>

intransitive verb

1

: to register as a candidate especially in a primary election

2

: to place items in a file

3

: to submit documents necessary to initiate a legal proceeding <file for bankruptcy>

— fil·er \ˈfī-lər\ noun

Origin of FILE

Middle English, from Medieval Latin filare to string documents on a string or wire, from filum file of documents, literally, thread, from Latin; akin to Armenian ǰil sinew

First Known Use: 15th century

⁵file

noun

Definition of FILE

1

: a device (as a folder, case, or cabinet) by means of which papers are kept in order

2

a archaic : roll, list

b : a collection of papers or publications usually arranged or classified

c (1) : a collection of related data records (as for a computer) (2) : a complete collection of data (as text or a program) treated by a computer as a unit especially for purposes of input and output

— on file

: in or as if in a file for ready reference

First Known Use of FILE

1525

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

⁶file

noun

Definition of FILE

1

: single file

2

: any of the rows of squares that extend across a chessboard from one player's side to the other player's side

Origin of FILE

Middle French, from filer to spin, draw out, from Late Latin filare, from Latin filum

First Known Use: 1598

⁷file

intransitive verb

filedfiling

Definition of FILE

: to march or proceed in single file

First Known Use of FILE

1614

fi·lé

noun \fə-ˈlā, (ˌ)fē-ˈlā, ˈfē-(ˌ)lā\

Definition of FILÉ

: powdered young leaves of sassafras used to thicken soups or stews

Variants of FILÉ

fi·lé also fi·le \fə-ˈlā, (ˌ)fē-ˈlā, ˈfē-(ˌ)lā\

Origin of FILÉ

Louisiana French, from French, past participle of filer to twist, spin

First Known Use: 1806

Rhymes with FILÉ

abbé, affray, agley, airplay, airway, aisleway, all-day, allay, allée, Angers, Anhui, archway, array, ashtray, assay, astray, Augier, away, aweigh, backstay, ballet, base pay, bat ray, beignet, belay, beltway, benday, beret, betray, bewray, bidet, bikeway, birthday, Biscay, Bizet, blasé, bobstay, Bombay, Bossuet, bouchée, bouclé, boule, bouquet, Bourget, bourrée, breezeway, Bouvet, Broadway, buffet, byplay, byway, cachet, café, cahier, Cambay, Cathay, causeway, chaîné, chalet, chambray, chassé, child's play, ciré, cliché, congé, convey, co-pay, Corday, corvée, coudé, coupé, crawlway, crochet, croquet, crossway, cube, curé, cy pres, DA, daresay, D-day, death ray, decay, deejay, defray, delay, dengue, dismay, display, distrait, DJ, donnée, doomsday, doorway, dossier, downplay, dragée, driveway, duvet, Earl Grey, embay, épée, essay, estray, Ewe, fair play, fairway, Feuillet, field day, filet, fillet, fireclay, fishway, flambé, flight pay, floodway, flyway, folkway, footway, foray, force play, forebay, foreplay, forestay, formée, forte, fouetté, foul play, Fouquet, four-way, fourchée, foyer, franglais, frappé, freeway, Friday, frieze, fumet, gainsay, Galway, gamay, gangway, gateway, gelée, give way, glacé, godet, gourmet, Green Bay, greenway, guideway, gunplay, hair spray, halfway, hallway, Hannay, harm's way, hatchway, headway, hearsay, Hebei, Hefei, heyday, highway, hold sway, homestay, hooray, horseplay, Hubei, in play, in re, inlay, inveigh, Islay, issei, jackstay, James Bay, jennet, jeté, Jetway, Jolliet, keyway, Kobe, koine, kouprey, lamé, laneway, lay day, leeway, lifeway, Lomé, Lord's day, lwei, lycée, M-day, maguey, mainstay, make hay, Malay, malgré, man-day, Mande, Manet, manqué, margay, massé, match play, maté, May Day, Medway, melee, meze, midday, midway, Midway, Millay, Millet, mislay, misplay, moiré, Monday, Monet, Mornay, name day, Niamey, nisei, noonday, Norway, nosegay, obey, OK, olé, ombré, one-way, osprey, Otway, outlay, outré, outstay, outweigh, oyez, PA, parfait, parkway, parlay, parquet, partway, passé, pâté, pathway, pavé, payday, pearl gray, per se, pince-nez, pipe clay, piqué, piquet, pith ray, PK, plié, plissé, pommée, Pompeii, portray, prepay, projet, pulque, puree, purvey, quale, Quesnay, raceway, Rahway, railway, rappee, red bay, relay, repay, replay, risqué, roadway, Roget, role-play, ropeway, rosé, rosebay, Roubaix, roué, routeway, runway, sachet, saint's day, Salé, sansei, sashay, sauté, screenplay, scrub jay, seaway, Shark Bay, shar-pei, shipway, short-day, sick bay, sick day, sick pay, sideway, skyway, slideway, slipway, sluiceway, soigné, soiree, someday, someway, soothsay, soufflé, speedway, spillway, squeeze play, stairway, sternway, stingray, straightway, strathspey, stroke play, subway, Sunday, survey, sweet bay, swordplay, tea tray, tempeh, thoughtway, thruway, Thursday, tideway, today, Tokay, tollway, Torbay, touché, toupee, trackway, tramway, Tuesday, Twelfth Day, two-way, unlay, unsay, valet, V-day, veejay, vide, visé, Vouvray, walkway, waylay, Wednesday, weekday, white way, windway, wood ray, wordplay, workday

file

noun \ˈfī(ə)l\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of FILE

1

: a tool usually of hardened steel with cutting ridges for forming or smoothing surfaces (as of a tooth)

2

: a narrow instrument for shaping fingernails with a fine rough metal or emery surface

—file transitive verb, filed; fil·ing

file

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

In hardware and metalworking, bar- or rod-shaped tool of hardened steel with many small cutting edges raised on its surfaces. Files are used for smoothing or forming objects, especially of metal. A file's cutting or abrading action results from rubbing it, usually by hand, against the workpiece. The single-cut file has rows of parallel teeth cut diagonally across the working surfaces. The double-cut file has rows of teeth crossing each other. Rasp teeth are disconnected and round on top; rasp files are usually very coarse and are used primarily on wood and soft materials.