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file¹

  • /faɪl/ UK, US
  • [faɪ̯(ə)ɫ] UK, US

Rhymes with -aɪl

Where it comes from

From Old French fil (“thread”), from Latin fīlum (“thread”). Doublet of filum.

noun files

  1. A collection of papers collated and archived together. It is upon a file with the duke's other letters.

    Similar: document, paper

  2. A roll or list. a file of all the gentry
  3. A course of thought; a thread of narration. Let me resume the file of my narration.
  4. An aggregation of data on a storage device, identified by a name. He had created a file for coding to design a new product.
  5. 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.
  6. Canada, US, abbreviation, clipping 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 was a cabinet full of current newspaper and magazine clippings on topics of inte

verb files · filing · filed

  1. transitive To commit (official papers) to some office. She filed their accounts yesterday.
  2. intransitive, transitive, with for To submit a formal request to some office. She filed for divorce the next day.
  3. transitive (of a journalist) To submit (an article) to a newspaper or similar publication. I filed my copy soon after the interview.
  4. transitive To place in an archive in a logical place and order. Troves of documents filed away in the depository.
  5. transitive To store a file (aggregation of data) on a storage medium such as a disc or another computer.
  6. obsolete, transitive To set in order; to arrange, or lay away. I would have my several courses and my dishes well filed.

file²

  • /faɪl/ UK, US
  • [faɪ̯(ə)ɫ] UK, US

Rhymes with -aɪl

Where it comes from

From French file, from filer (“to spin out, arrange one behind another”), from Latin fīlāre, from filum (“thread”).

noun files

  1. A column of people one behind another, whether "single file" or in a grid pattern. The troops marched in Indian file.

    Opposite: rank

  2. A small detachment of soldiers.
  3. One of the eight vertical lines of squares on a chessboard (i.e., those identified by a letter).

    Opposite: rank

verb files · filing · filed

  1. intransitive To move in a file. The applicants kept filing into the room until it was full.

file³

  • /faɪl/ UK, US
  • [faɪ̯(ə)ɫ] UK, US

Rhymes with -aɪl

Where it comes from

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”).

noun files

  1. 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.
  2. archaic, slang A cunning or resourceful person. Will is an old file, in spite of his smooth face.
  3. obsolete, slang A pickpocket. The greatest character among them was that of a pickpocket, or, in their language, a file.

verb files · filing · filed

  1. 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.

file⁴

  • /faɪl/ UK, US
  • [faɪ̯(ə)ɫ] UK, US

Rhymes with -aɪl

Where it comes from

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.

verb files · filing · filed

  1. archaic To defile. I cannot thinke […] So true a bird would file ſo faire a neſt, […]

    Similar: befoul, foil, inquinate, assoil, beclart, bedaub, bedirty, imbrue (especially with blood), bedizen, befile, befilth, begrime

  2. To corrupt.

    Similar: immoralize, lead astray, warp, adulterate, corrupt, debauch, demoralize, detort, file, pervert, pollute, preposterate

File⁵

proper noun Files

  1. A surname.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: register, single file, indian file, charge, file away, lodge, file cabinet, filing cabinet, data file, dossier, archive, archival, workbook, archived, documentation, format

Translations

Every language

noun collection of papers

Españolcartapacio
한국어서류철 seoryucheol, 파일 pail
日本語綴じ込み tojikomi, ファイル fairu
中文檔案 /档案 dàng'àn
Portuguêsarquivo, ficheiro
Françaisfichier, dossier
DeutschAkte, Datei, Hefter, Ordner, Kartei, Dossier
Italianoarchivio, cartella
Ελληνικάαρχείο archeío
Românăfișier, dosar
Русскийде́ло délo, па́пка pápka, досье́ dosʹjé, пачка pačka, связка svjazka
Tiếng Việttập tin
العربيةمِلَفّ milaff

noun computing: aggregation of data

Españolarchivo, fichero
한국어파일 pail
日本語ファイル fairu
中文文件 wénjiàn, 檔案 /档案 dàng'àn
हिन्दीफ़ाइल fāil
Portuguêsarquivo, ficheiro
Françaisfichier
DeutschDatei, File
Italianofile
Ελληνικάαρχείο archeío
Românăfișier
Русскийфайл fajl
Tiếng Việttệp, tập tin, tệp tin
العربيةمِلَفّ milaff
עבריתקוֹבֶץ kovéts

noun kitchen units and countertop

DeutschKüchenzeile

verb transitive: to commit papers

Españolgestionar, tramitar, deparar, diligenciar
日本語申請する shinsei suru, 提起する teiki suru
Portuguêsarquivar
DeutschAntrag stellen, einreichen, eingeben
Italianoarchiviare
Ελληνικάκαταθέτω katathéto
Русскийподава́ть докуме́нты podavátʹ dokuménty, подава́ть заявле́ние podavátʹ zajavlénije, подава́ть жа́лобу podavátʹ žálobu

verb to make a formal request

Españolgestionar, cursar, entablar, tramitar, diligenciar
Portuguêsregistrar
Deutschbeantragen, einreichen, beanspruchen
Italianodepositare, intentare, presentare
Русскийподава́ть заявле́ние podavátʹ zajavlénije

verb to archive

Españolencarpetar
日本語保管する hokan suru
Portuguêsarquivar
Deutscharchivieren, abheften, einsortieren
Italianoarchiviare
Ελληνικάαρχειοθετώ archeiothetó
Русскийподшива́ть к де́лу podšivátʹ k délu, сдава́ть в архи́в sdavátʹ v arxív, регистри́ровать registrírovatʹ, архиви́ровать arxivírovatʹ

verb to store computer data

Españolguardar
日本語保存する hozon suru
Portuguêssalvar, guardar
Deutschspeichern, abspeichern
Ελληνικάαρχειοθετώ archeiothetó
Русскийзапомина́ть zapominátʹ, запи́сывать zapísyvatʹ, сохраня́ть soxranjátʹ

noun column of people

Españolfila
한국어줄 jul, 열 yeol
日本語列 retsu
中文列 liè
Portuguêsfila
Françaisfile
DeutschReihe
Italianofila
Ελληνικάσειρά seirá, συστοιχία systoichía
Русскийколо́нна kolónna, верени́ца vereníca, шере́нга šerénga, строй stroj

noun chess: vertical line of squares

Españolcolumna
日本語列 retsu
Portuguêslinha, coluna
Françaiscolonne
DeutschLinie
Italianocolonna
Ελληνικάστήλη stíli
Românăcoloană
Русскийвертика́ль vertikálʹ
Tiếng Việtcột

noun cutting or smoothing tool

Españollima, limatón, mediacaña
한국어줄 jul
日本語鑢 yasuri
中文銼 /锉 cuò, 銼刀 /锉刀 cuòdāo
हिन्दीरेती retī
Portuguêslima, lixa
Françaislime
DeutschFeile
Italianolima, limetta
Ελληνικάλίμα líma
Românăpilă
Русскийнапи́льник napílʹnik, пи́лка pílka, пи́лочка píločka, на́дфиль nádfilʹ
Tiếng Việtgiũa
العربيةمِبْرَد mibrad
עבריתפְּצִירָה p'tsirá, שׁוֹפִין shofin

verb smooth with a file

Españollimar
한국어쓸다 sseulda
日本語やすり掛け yasuri gake
Portuguêslimar, lixar
Françaislimer
Deutschfeilen
Italianolimare
Ελληνικάλιμάρω limáro, ρινίζω rinízo
Русскийподпи́ливать podpílivatʹ, шлифова́ть šlifovátʹ
Tiếng Việtgiũa

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"file." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/file. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

APA

file. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/file

Chicago

"file." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 5, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/file.

BibTeX
@misc{file_2026,
  title = {file},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/file},
  urldate = {2026-11-05}
}