file
file Lexical Profile
file Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A collection of related data, documents, or information stored under a specific name on a computer or kept together in a physical folder.
"She saved the presentation file on her desktop before leaving the office."
A line of people, animals, or things positioned one directly behind the other.
"The students walked down the hallway in a single file to maintain order during the fire drill."
A hand tool with a roughened surface, typically made of hardened steel, used for smoothing, shaping, or reducing hard materials like metal or wood.
"He used a metal file to smooth down the sharp edges of the copper pipe."
• verb
To submit a legal document, application, or formal charge to a designated authority.
"The company was forced to file for bankruptcy after failing to secure additional funding."
To place documents or data into a folder, cabinet, or systematic arrangement for organized storage and future reference.
"Please file these invoices alphabetically in the top drawer."
To smooth, shape, or reduce a surface by rubbing it repeatedly with a coarse-grained tool.
"She began to file her nails into a neat, rounded shape."
• Rhymes for file
Word Origin & Etymology
The word has two distinct etymologies. 'File' meaning a folder or line comes from Latin 'filum' (thread), referencing strings historically used to string documents together. 'File' meaning a smoothing tool derives from Old English 'fēol', of Germanic origin.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.