file
A collection of papers collated and archived together.
Noun
- A collection of papers collated and archived together.
- It is upon a file with the duke's other letters. - c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London:...
- We'd like to know a little bit about you for our files We'd like to help you learn to help yourself - 1968 April 5, Paul Simon, “Mrs. Robinson”, in Bookends, performed by Simon & Garfunkel:
- A roll or list.
- a file of all the gentry - c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]...
- A course of thought; a thread of narration.
- Let me resume the file of my narration. - 1642, Henry Wotton, A Short View of the Life and Death of George Villiers:
- An aggregation of data on a storage device, identified by a name.
- He had created a file for coding to design a new product.
- I'm going to delete these unwanted files to free up some disk space.
- 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.
- Clipping of file cabinet.
- 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...
Origin
From Old French fil (“thread”), from Latin fīlum (“thread”). Doublet of filum.
Forms
Synonyms
Hyponyms
accordion file audio file barrel file batch file binary file box file cabinet file casefile chronofile circular file code file datafile data file destination file diff file dirt file dotfile dropfile factfile fact file file 13 flat file goat file header file
Derived
backfile card-file card file card-file system case file device file file allocation table file association file cabinet file card file carving file clerk file descriptor file-drawer problem file extension file film file folder file footage file format Filegate filegroup filehandle file handle fileless
Noun Entry 2
- 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.
Hypernyms: tool
- A cunning or resourceful person.
- Will is an old file, in spite of his smooth face. - 1857–1859, W[illiam] M[akepeace] Thackeray, The Virginians. A Tale of the Last Century, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury & Evans, […],...
- The greatest character among them was that of a Pickpocket, or, in truer language, a File. - 1743, Henry Fielding, The Life and Death of Jonathan Wild, the Great:
- A pickpocket.
- The greatest character among them was that of a pickpocket, or, in their language, a file. - 1743, Henry Fielding, The Life and Death of Jonathan Wild, the Great:
Origin
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”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish fil (“file”), Icelandic þjöl (“rasp, file”).
Forms
Derived
bastard file cross file filefish filelike filemaker filemaking file shell filesmith file snake filetail nail file pippin file rat-tail file round file saw file
Noun Entry 3
- A column of people one behind another, whether "single file" or in a grid pattern.
- The troops marched in Indian file.
Antonyms: rank
- A small detachment of soldiers.
- One of the eight vertical lines of squares on a chessboard (i.e., those identified by a letter).
Antonyms: rank
Origin
From French file, from filer (“to spin out, arrange one behind another”), from Latin fīlāre, from filum (“thread”).
Forms
Derived
closed file double file e-file file-card file closer half-open file Indian file open file ranger file rank and file semi-open file single file
Verb Entry 4
- To commit (official papers) to some office.
- She filed their accounts yesterday.
- The episode’s unwillingness to fully commit to the pathos of the Bart-and-Laura subplot is all the more frustrating considering its laugh quota is more than filled by a rollicking B-story that finds Homer, he of the...
- To submit (an article) to a newspaper or similar publication.
- I filed my copy soon after the interview.
- To place in an archive in a logical place and order.
- Troves of documents filed away in the depository.
- To store a file (aggregation of data) on a storage medium such as a disc or another computer.
- To submit a formal request to some office.
- She filed for divorce the next day.
- The company filed for bankruptcy when the office opened on Monday.
- They filed for a refund under their warranty.
- To set in order; to arrange, or lay away.
- I would have my several courses and my dishes well filed. - 1606, Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, “The Woman-Hater”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […],...
Forms
Derived
enfile fileable file away filing clerk filing fee filings interfile misfile prefile refile unfile unfiled
Verb archaic
- To defile.
- I cannot thinke […] So true a bird would file ſo faire a neſt, […] - 1593, anonymous author, The Life and Death of Iacke Straw […], →OCLC, Act I:
- for Banquo's issue have I fil'd my mind - c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac...
Synonyms: befoul foil inquinate assoil beclart bedaub bedirty imbrue (especially with blood) bedizen befile befilth begrime beray beshit besmear besmirch besully bewray blacken blot blur clat contaminate darken
- To corrupt.
Synonyms: immoralize lead astray warp adulterate corrupt debauch demoralize detort file pervert pollute preposterate seduce sophisticate suborn subvert tamper unmoralize vitiate
Origin
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.
Forms
Derived
Verb Entry 6
- To move in a file.
- The applicants kept filing into the room until it was full.
Forms
Derived
file in file off the serial numbers file out file past file with unfiled
Verb Entry 7
- To smooth, grind, or cut with a file.
- I'd better file the bottoms of the table legs. Otherwise they will scratch the flooring.
- Orion hit a rabbit once; but though sore wounded it got to the bury, and, struggling in, the arrow caught the side of the hole and was drawn out. Indeed, a nail filed sharp is not of much avail as an arrowhead; you must...