Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
File
File
(fīl)
, Noun.
1.
An orderly succession; a line; a row
; as: (a)
(Mil.)
A row of soldiers ranged one behind another; – in contradistinction to
rank
, which designates a row of soldiers standing abreast; a number consisting the depth of a body of troops, which, in the ordinary modern formation, consists of two men, the battalion standing two deep, or in two ranks. (b)
An orderly collection of papers, arranged in sequence or classified for preservation and reference; as, files of letters or of newspapers; this mail brings English files to the 15th instant.
(c)
The line, wire, or other contrivance, by which papers are put and kept in order.
2.
Course of thought; thread of narration.
[Obs.]
Let me resume the
file
of my narration. Sir H. Wotton.
File firing
, the act of firing by file, or each file independently of others.
– File leader
, the soldier at the front of any file, who covers and leads those in rear of him.
– File marching
, the marching of a line two deep, when faced to the right or left, so that the front and rear rank march side by side.
Brande & C.
–Indian file
, or Single file
a line of people marching one behind another; a single row. Also used adverbially; as, to march
– Indian file
. On file
, preserved in an orderly collection; recorded in some database.
– Rank and file
. (a)
The body of soldiers constituting the mass of an army, including corporals and privates.
Wilhelm.
(b)
Those who constitute the bulk or working members of a party, society, etc., in distinction from the leaders.
File
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Filed
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Filing
.] 1.
To set in order; to arrange, or lay away, esp. as papers in a methodical manner for preservation and reverence; to place on file; to insert in its proper place in an arranged body of papers.
I would have my several courses and my dishes well
filed
. Beau. & Fl.
2.
To bring before a court or legislative body by presenting proper papers in a regular way;
as, to
. file
a petition or billBurrill.
3.
(Law)
To put upon the files or among the records of a court; to note on (a paper) the fact date of its reception in court.
To
file
a paper, on the part of a party, is to place it in the official custody of the clerk. To file
, on the part of the clerk, is to indorse upon the paper the date of its reception, and retain it in his office, subject to inspection by whomsoever it may concern. Burrill.
File
,Verb.
I.
[Cf. F.
filer
.] (Mil.)
To march in a file or line, as soldiers, not abreast, but one after another; – generally with off.
To file with
, to follow closely, as one soldier after another in file; to keep pace.
My endeavors
Have ever come too short of my desires,
Yet
Have ever come too short of my desires,
Yet
filed with
my abilities. Shakespeare
File
(fīl)
, Noun.
[AS.
feól
; akin to D. viji
, OHG. fīla
, fīhala
, G. feile
, Sw. fil
, Dan. fiil
, cf. Icel. þēl
, Russ. pila
, and Skr. piç
to cut out, adorn; perh. akin to E. paint
.] 1.
A steel instrument, having cutting ridges or teeth, made by indentation with a chisel, used for abrading or smoothing other substances, as metals, wood, etc.
☞ A file differs from a rasp in having the furrows made by straight cuts of a chisel, either single or crossed, while the rasp has coarse, single teeth, raised by the pyramidal end of a triangular punch.
2.
Anything employed to smooth, polish, or rasp, literally or figuratively.
Mock the nice touches of the critic’s
file
. Akenside.
3.
A shrewd or artful person.
[Slang]
Fielding.
Will is an old
file
in spite of his smooth face. Thackeray.
Bastard file
, Cross file
Cross-cut file
, a file having two sets of teeth crossing obliquely.
– File blank
, a steel blank shaped and ground ready for cutting to form a file.
– File cutter
, a maker of files.
– Second-cut file
, a file having teeth of a grade next finer than bastard.
– Single-cut file
, a file having only one set of parallel teeth; a float.
– Smooth file
, a file having teeth so fine as to make an almost smooth surface.
File
,Verb.
T.
1.
To rub, smooth, or cut away, with a file; to sharpen with a file;
as, to
. file
a saw or a tooth2.
To smooth or polish as with a file.
Shak.
File
your tongue to a little more courtesy. Sir W. Scott.
Webster 1828 Edition
File
FILE
,Noun.
1.
A thread, string of line; particularly, a line or wire on which papers are strung in due order for preservation, and for conveniently finding them when wanted. Documents are kept on file.2.
The whole number of papers strung on a line or wire; as a file of writs. A file is a record of court.3.
A bundle of papers tied together, with the title of each indorsed; the mode of arranging and keeping papers being changed, without a change of names.4.
A roll, list or catalogue.5.
A row of soldiers ranged one behind another, from front to rear; the number of men constituting the depth of the battalion or squadron.FILE
, v.t.1.
To string; to fasten, as papers, on a line or wire for preservation. Declarations and affidavits must be filed. An original writ may be filed after judgment.2.
To arrange or insert in a bundle, as papers, indorsing the title on each paper. This is now the more common mode of filing papers in public and private offices.3.
To present or exhibit officially, or for trial; as, to file a bill in chancery.FILE
,Verb.
I.
FILE
, n.An instrument used in smoothing and polishing metals, formed of iron or steel, and cut in little furrows.
FILE
, v.t.1.
To rub and smooth with a file; to polish.2.
To cut as with a file; to wear off or away by friction; as, to file off a tooth.3.
[from defile.] To foul or defile. [Not used.]Definition 2025
file
file
English
Noun
file (plural files)
- A collection of papers collated and archived together.
- Shakespeare
- It is upon a file with the duke's other letters.
- Shakespeare
- A roll or list.
- Shakespeare
- a file of all the gentry
- Shakespeare
- Course of thought; thread of narration.
- Sir H. Wotton
- Let me resume the file of my narration.
- Sir H. Wotton
- (computing) An aggregation of data on a storage device, identified by a name.
- I'm going to delete these unwanted files to free up some disk space.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Terms derived from file (etymology 1)
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Translations
collection of papers
|
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computer terminology
|
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Verb
file (third-person singular simple present files, present participle filing, simple past and past participle filed)
- (transitive) To commit official papers to some office
- (transitive) To place in an archive in a logical place and order
- (transitive) To store a file (aggregation of data) on a storage medium such as a disc or another computer.
- (intransitive, with for, chiefly law) To make a formal request for the benefit of an official status.
- 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.
- 2012 May 27, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “New Kid On The Block” (season 4, episode 8; originally aired 11/12/1992)”, in The Onion AV Club:
- 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 iron stomach and insatiable appetite, filing a lawsuit against The Frying Dutchman when he’s hauled out of the eatery against his will after consuming all of the restaurant’s shrimp (plus two plastic lobsters).
- (transitive, obsolete) To set in order; to arrange, or lay away.
- Beaumont and Fletcher
- I would have my several courses and my dishes well filed.
- Beaumont and Fletcher
Derived terms
Translations
to commit papers
to archive
|
to store computer data
to make a formal request
|
Etymology 2
French file, from filer, “to spin out”, “arrange one behind another”, Latin fīlāre, from filum, “thread”.
Noun
file (plural files)
- A column of people one behind another, whether "single file" or in a large group with many files side by side.
- The troops marched in Indian file.
- (military) A small detachment of soldiers.
- (chess) one of the eight vertical lines of squares on a chessboard (i.e., those which run from number to number). The analog horizontal lines are the ranks.
Derived terms
Translations
column of people
|
chess: vertical line of squares
|
Verb
file (third-person singular simple present files, present participle filing, simple past and past participle filed)
- (intransitive) To move in a file.
- The applicants kept filing into the room until it was full.
Derived terms
Etymology 3
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”).
Noun
A file (tool).
file (plural files)
- A hand tool consisting of a handle to which a block of coarse metal is attached, and used for removing sharp edges or for cutting, especially through metal.
- (slang, archaic) A cunning or resourceful person.
- Thackeray
- Will is an old file, in spite of his smooth face.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Fielding to this entry?)
- Thackeray
Derived terms
terms derived from file (tool) (noun)
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Hyponyms
Translations
cutting or smoothing tool
|
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Verb
file (third-person singular simple present files, present participle filing, simple past and past participle filed)
- (transitive) To smooth, grind, or cut with a file.
- I'd better file the bottoms of the table legs. Otherwise they will scratch the flooring.
- 1879, Richard Jefferies, The Amateur Poacher, chapterII:
- 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 have it barbed, and that was a little beyond our skill.
Derived terms
terms derived from file (use tool) {verb}
Translations
to smooth with a file
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Etymology 4
Middle English filen (“to defile”), from Old English fȳlan (“to defile, make foul”), from fūl (“foul”). More at defile.
Verb
file (third-person singular simple present files, present participle filing, simple past and past participle filed)
Anagrams
Dutch
Etymology 1
From French file (“line, row”), from Late Latin filare, from Latin filum (“thread”). Related to fileren (“to fillet”) and file (“computer file”).
Pronunciation
- Hyphenation: fi‧le
Noun
file f (plural files, diminutive filetje n)
Synonyms
Etymology 2
From English file (“computer file”), from Old French fil (“thread”), from Latin filum (“thread”). Related to fileren (“to fillet”) and file (“queue, traffic jam”).
Pronunciation
- Hyphenation: file
Noun
file m (plural files, diminutive filetje n)
Anagrams
French
Pronunciation
Noun
file f (plural files)
- A line of objects placed one after the other.
- (Belgium) traffic jam
Derived terms
Synonyms
- (jam): bouchon, embouteillage
Verb
file
- first-person singular present indicative of filer
- third-person singular present indicative of filer
- first-person singular present subjunctive of filer
- third-person singular present subjunctive of filer
- second-person singular imperative of filer
Anagrams
Irish
Etymology
From Old Irish fili, from Primitive Irish ᚃᚓᚂᚔᚈᚐᚄ (velitas), from Proto-Celtic *weless.
Noun
file m (genitive singular file, nominative plural filí)
Declension
Declension of file
Fourth declension
|
Bare forms
|
Forms with the definite article
|
Derived terms
Mutation
| Irish mutation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Radical | Lenition | Eclipsis |
| file | fhile | bhfile |
| Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. | ||
Slovene
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /fiˈléː/
- Tonal orthography: filẹ̑
- Hyphenation: fi‧lé
Noun
filé m inan (genitive filêja, nominative plural filêji)
Declension
Declension of filé (masculine inan., soft o-stem)
| singular | dual | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | filé | filêja | filêji |
| accusative | filé | filêja | filêje |
| genitive | filêja | filêjev | filêjev |
| dative | filêju | filêjema | filêjem |
| locative | filêju | filêjih | filêjih |
| instrumental | filêjem | filêjema | filêji |
Spanish
Verb
file