Collins English-English Dictionary

file [faɪl]

1. 1. n a folder, box, etc, used to keep documents or other items in order

2. 2. n the documents, etc, kept in this way

3. 3. n documents or information about a specific subject, person, etc

   we have a file on every known thief

4. 4. n an orderly line or row

5. 5. n a line of people in marching formation, one behind another - Compare rank

6. 6. n any of the eight vertical rows of squares on a chessboard

7. 7. n [computing] a named collection of information, in the form of text, programs, graphics, etc, held on a permanent storage device such as a magnetic disk

8. 8. n [obsolete] a list or catalogue

9. 9. vb to place (a document, letter, etc) in a file

10. 10. vt. [tr] to put on record, esp to place (a legal document) on public or official record; register

11. 11. vt. [tr] to bring (a suit, esp a divorce suit) in a court of law

12. 12. vt. [tr] to submit (copy) to a newspaper or news agency

13. 13. vi. [intr] to march or walk in a file or files

    the ants filed down the hill

14. 14. vi. [Etymology] C16 (in the sense: string on which documents are hung): from Old French filer, from Medieval Latin filare; see filament

file [faɪl]

1. 1. n a hand tool consisting essentially of a steel blade with small cutting teeth on some or all of its faces. It is used for shaping or smoothing metal, wood, etc

2. 2. n [rare] [Brit] [slang] a cunning or deceitful person

3. 3. vt. [tr] to shape or smooth (a surface) with a file

4. 4. vt. [Etymology] Old English fil; related to Old Saxon fila, Old High German fihala file, Greek pikros bitter, sharp

file [faɪl]

1. 1. vt. [tr] [obsolete] to pollute or defile

2. 2. vt. [Etymology] Old English fylan; related to Middle Low German vülen; see defile¹, filth, foul