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

When combined with pea starch, konjac can be turned into different kinds of seafood imitations, from shellfish to fish fillets, says chief executive Eugene Wang. — Anne Marie Chaker, WSJ, "Fish: The Final Frontier in Fake Meat," 15 Oct. 2018 Toss your chicken or salmon fillets on the pan, surround them with vegetables, and roast until everything turns golden brown, a perfect one-pan meal. — Melissa Clark, The Seattle Times, "How to make sheet-pan suppers without the meat," 1 Oct. 2018 Spoon 1/3 cup walnut mixture over each fillet; gently press mixture into surface of salmon. — Atlanta Life, ajc, "7 Day Menu Planner," 30 Mar. 2018 Place one shrimp on each fillet and wrap shrimp with the tilapia. — Joanne Kempinger Demski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "You Asked for It: Final Approach Tilapia-Wrapped Shrimp," 12 Mar. 2018 Drizzle the reduced marinade over the fillet and the noodles. — Maya Wilson, Anchorage Daily News, "Whether you call it sablefish or black cod, make this dish as soon as you possibly can," 7 June 2018 Add the fish fillets and cook on both sides until lightly browned. — Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, "Pair pan-fried fish with lemon and caper sauce," 18 Mar. 2018 Add 1 Tbsp oil to skillet and, working in batches, cook 2 fillets until golden brown, about 4 minutes. — Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Lime Tilapia With Citrus-Avocado Salsa," 19 Dec. 2018 Season salmon fillets with salt and pepper and nestle among vegetables in pan. — Anna Helm Baxter, Good Housekeeping, "Roasted Salmon with Tomatoes and Green Beans," 24 Oct. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

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 The fish has to be handled carefully when caught and when filleted, but for customers in a restaurant or at the seafood counter of their local grocery, lionfish is no more of a threat than salmon or flounder or cod. — Ben Lowy, Smithsonian, "The Lionfish Have Invaded, But a Ragtag Army of Divers and Chefs Are Fighting Back," 23 May 2018 El Piquin offers chicken, beef or shrimp fajitas, or try the fish fillet ranchero or fish tacos. — Bud Kennedy, star-telegram, "Tortas, huaraches and green sauce at a little cafe in Grapevine | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 16 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.