file

B1 Topic:Technology & Computing

US /ˈfaɪl/ UK /faɪl/ See IPA manual

Freq #1454

Meanings

1

noun
A named collection of data stored on a computer.

She saved the document as a new file on her laptop.
2

noun
A folder or set of papers and records about a particular person or subject, kept together.

The police keep a file on every reported case.
3

verb
To officially submit a document or request to an office or court.

They decided to file for divorce after years of arguing.
4

verb
To walk forward one behind another in a line.

The students filed quietly into the classroom.
5

verb
To rub something smooth with a small rough tool.

She filed her nails until they were perfectly even.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · a folder or set of papers... document paperdata file

3 verb · to officially submit a... register

Word family

Forms filedfiles

Derived forms befilee-fileenfilefile-cardfileablefilingsinterfilemisfileprefilerefileunfileunfiled

Etymology

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”).

file Middle English fēl Old English *finhlō Proto-Germanic *peyḱ- Proto-Indo-European

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# file

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈfaɪl/
**IPA (UK):** /faɪl/
**Frequency rank:** 1454

## Meanings
1. A named collection of data stored on a computer.
2. A folder or set of papers and records about a particular person or subject, kept together.
3. To officially submit a document or request to an office or court.
4. To walk forward one behind another in a line.
5. To rub something smooth with a small rough tool.

## Examples
- She saved the document as a new file on her laptop.
- The police keep a file on every reported case.
- They decided to file for divorce after years of arguing.
- The students filed quietly into the classroom.
- She filed her nails until they were perfectly even.

## Derived Forms
- befile
- e-file
- enfile
- file-card
- fileable
- filings
- interfile
- misfile
- prefile
- refile
- unfile
- unfiled

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: file
- Root: fēl
- Root: *finhlō
- Root: *peyḱ-

## Etymology
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”).

## AI Etymology
File comes 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”). In current use, the main senses are “A named collection of data stored on a computer” and “A folder or set of papers and records about a particular person or subject, kept together”.

## Topics
- Technology & Computing

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file

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