fillet

noun

fil·let | \ ˈfi-lət

, in sense 2b also fi-ˈlā, ˈfi-(ˌ)lā

variants: or less commonly filet \ fi-ˈlā

, ˈfi-(ˌ)lā \

Definition of fillet

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a ribbon or narrow strip of material used especially as a headband

2a : a thin narrow strip of material

b : a piece or slice of boneless meat or fish especially : the tenderloin of beef

3a : a concave junction formed where two surfaces meet (as at an angle)

b : a strip that gives a rounded appearance to such a junction also : a strip to reinforce the corner where two surfaces meet

4 : a narrow flat architectural member:

a : a flat molding separating others

b : the space between two flutings (see flute entry 1 sense 3) in a shaft

fillet

verb

fil·let | \ ˈfi-lət

, in sense 2 also fi-ˈlā, ˈfi-(ˌ)lā\

filleted; filleting; fillets

Definition of fillet (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to bind, furnish, or adorn with or as if with a fillet

2 : to cut into fillets

Examples of fillet in a Sentence

Noun

a juicy fillet of beef

Verb

He carefully filleted the fish with a sharp knife.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

This evening's 170 guests were treated to a menu starting with steamed fillet of halibut with watercress mousse, asparagus spears, and chervil sauce. — Victoria Murphy, Town & Country, "Queen Elizabeth Hosts a Lavish State Banquet for President Trump at Buckingham Palace," 3 June 2019 The fishmonger closes the deal with a pretend shake of the fin and tosses the fish theatrically to his colleague behind the counter, who makes a backhanded circus catch before brandishing a large fillet knife that gleams in his hand. — Corey Arnold, National Geographic, "Why wild salmon remains king in the Pacific Northwest," 27 Mar. 2019 In their second Slow Food contribution, fillets of steamed hake rest in a fragrant broth along with plump peas and steamed cockles. — Kitty Greenwald, WSJ, "This Recipe Delivers an Early Taste of Spring," 8 Mar. 2019 And Milwaukeeans should gravitate toward fish pakora ($9.99), a plateful of swai fillets, each the size of a few bites, coated in chickpea flour and fried golden brown. — Carol Deptolla, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "New owners bring fine flavors to Royal India restaurant on Milwaukee's south side," 12 June 2018 The halibut has since been processed, resulting in 140 pounds of fillets, according to Fox 13. — Madeline Farber, Fox News, "Washington man catches nearly 7-foot halibut: 'It was bigger than a folding table'," 6 June 2018 For those needing a fish fix, frozen cod fillets were left off the final list. — Daniela Wei, The Seattle Times, "Winners and losers from Trump’s tariffs," 18 Sep. 2018 Top each helping with a salmon fillet and serve warm. — Kitty Greenwald, WSJ, "The Secret to Making Summer Vegetables Sing," 23 Aug. 2018 Things look different this month, though prices are still high in local seafood markets, ranging from $29.99 per pound at Tokyo Fish in Berkeley to as much as $39.99 per pound at Bi-Rite Market in San Francisco for fillets. — Tara Duggan, SFChronicle.com, "Wild salmon return to Bay Area markets," 25 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The salmon and steelhead are all filleted and sold at the market. — Corey Arnold, National Geographic, "Why wild salmon remains king in the Pacific Northwest," 27 Mar. 2019 The new ship will have eight filleting production lines and freezer capacity for 2,500 tons of fish—twice the capacity of one of his current vessels. — Robert Lee Hotz, WSJ, "Climate Change Drives Fish Into New Waters, Remaking an Industry," 22 Dec. 2018 Lay a sheet of parchment on a baking sheet and place the salmon fillet skin-side down in the center. — Gabrielle Hamilton, House Beautiful, "Gabrielle Hamilton's Salmon With Creamy Lemon Rice," 14 Mar. 2012 The price difference between the two filleting tools is not significantly different. — Shannon Tompkins, Houston Chronicle, "Fillet blade a cut above the rest for anglers," 6 June 2018 The fish—filleted tilapia in this case—is prepared in a manner that gives it an almost silky, soft texture. — Jim Thurman, Los Angeles Magazine, "A China Chain’s Pricey Bowls of Sauerkraut Fish Soup Have Landed in the SGV," 24 May 2018 The aircraft are already parked in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, where they will be filleted over the next two years by a specialist company and sold in parts. — Tom Lavell, Bloomberg.com, "Two Unwanted A380s Are Moving Closer to the Scrapheap," 5 June 2018 The sushi festival hosted by Fanoomies Entertainment advertises tuna filleting demonstrations, door prizes and all-you-can eat Japanese food for just $20 as well as VIP packages that stretch up to $300. — Benjy Egel, sacbee, "Sushi Fest has thousands of interested foodies. But some fear the event is fake," 31 May 2018 Fish are safe to eat as long as the flesh (only) is filleted away from the skin and washed. — Bill Monroe, OregonLive.com, "Free-Fishing weekend approaches in Oregon," 25 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fillet.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.