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File
Definitions
- 1 A surname.
- 1 A collection of papers collated and archived together.
"It is upon a file with the duke's other letters."
- 2 A column of people one behind another, whether "single file" or in a grid pattern.
"The troops marched in Indian file."
- 3 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.
- 4 a steel hand tool with small sharp teeth on some or all of its surfaces; used for smoothing wood or metal wordnet
- 5 A roll or list.
"a file of all the gentry"
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- 6 A small detachment of soldiers.
- 7 A cunning or resourceful person. archaic, slang
"Will is an old file, in spite of his smooth face."
- 8 office furniture consisting of a container for keeping papers in order wordnet
- 9 A course of thought; a thread of narration.
"Let me resume the file of my narration."
- 10 One of the eight vertical lines of squares on a chessboard (i.e., those identified by a letter).
- 11 A pickpocket. obsolete, slang
"The greatest character among them was that of a pickpocket, or, in their language, a file."
- 12 a set of related records (either written or electronic) kept together wordnet
- 13 An aggregation of data on a storage device, identified by a name.
"He had created a file for coding to design a new product."
- 14 a line of persons or things ranged one behind the other wordnet
- 15 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."
- 16 Clipping of file cabinet. Canada, US, abbreviation, alt-of, clipping
"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."
- 1 To commit (official papers) to some office. transitive
"She filed their accounts yesterday."
- 2 To move in a file. intransitive
"The applicants kept filing into the room until it was full."
- 3 To smooth, grind, or cut with a file. transitive
"I'd better file the bottoms of the table legs. Otherwise they will scratch the flooring."
- 4 To defile. archaic
"I cannot thinke […] So true a bird would file ſo faire a neſt, […]"
- 5 file a formal charge against wordnet
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- 6 (of a journalist) To submit (an article) to a newspaper or similar publication. transitive
"I filed my copy soon after the interview."
- 7 To corrupt.
- 8 place in a container for keeping records wordnet
- 9 To place in an archive in a logical place and order. transitive
"Troves of documents filed away in the depository."
- 10 record in a public office or in a court of law wordnet
- 11 To store a file (aggregation of data) on a storage medium such as a disc or another computer. transitive
- 12 smooth with a file wordnet
- 13 To submit a formal request to some office. intransitive
"She filed for divorce the next day."
- 14 proceed in line wordnet
- 15 To set in order; to arrange, or lay away. obsolete, transitive
"I would have my several courses and my dishes well filed."
Etymology
From Old French fil (“thread”), from Latin fīlum (“thread”). Doublet of filum.
From Old French fil (“thread”), from Latin fīlum (“thread”). Doublet of filum.
From French file, from filer (“to spin out, arrange one behind another”), from Latin fīlāre, from filum (“thread”).
From French file, from filer (“to spin out, arrange one behind another”), from Latin fīlāre, from filum (“thread”).
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”).
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”).
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.
See also for "file"
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