variants
or less commonly filet
fi-ˈlā 
ˈfi-(ˌ)lā
1
: a ribbon or narrow strip of material used especially as a headband
2
a
: a thin narrow strip of material
b
: a piece or slice of boneless meat or fish
especially
: the tenderloin of beef
3
a
: 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
filleted; filleting; 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
Editors Of Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 June 2026
The Reuben sandwich may or may not have been invented in Omaha (New York lays claim to it, too), and the city’s iconic restaurants are mostly steak houses, such as the Drover, a sixty-year-old Midwestern time capsule with a full salad bar and whiskey-marinated fillets.
—Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 June 2026
The fish is filleted and frozen, and food banks and schools have to come to Portland to pick it up.
—Joe Hernandez, NPR, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fillet
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Noun
Start with a quick sear, skin side up, then turn the fillets onto lemon slices.
—Editors Of Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 11 June 2026
The Reuben sandwich may or may not have been invented in Omaha (New York lays claim to it, too), and the city’s iconic restaurants are mostly steak houses, such as the Drover, a sixty-year-old Midwestern time capsule with a full salad bar and whiskey-marinated fillets.
—Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
Verb
Coat fillets all over with 3 Tbsp.
—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 3 June 2026
The fish is filleted and frozen, and food banks and schools have to come to Portland to pick it up.
—Joe Hernandez, NPR, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fillet
Cite this Entry
“Fillet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fillet. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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