file

/faɪl/ noun

1. a cardboard holder for documents, which can fit in the drawer of a filing cabinet

● Put these letters in the customer file.

● Look in the file marked ‘Scottish sales’.

2. documents kept for reference

♦ to place something on file to keep a record of something

♦ to keep someone’s name on file to keep someone’s name on a list for reference

3. a section of data on a computer (such as payroll, address list or customer accounts)

● How can we protect our computer files?

■ verb

1.

● You will find the salary scales filed by department.

● The correspondence is filed under ‘complaints’.

♦ to file documents to put documents in order so that they can be found easily

● The correspondence is filed under ‘complaints’.

2. to make an official request

♦ to file a petition in bankruptcy or to file for bankruptcy to ask officially to be made bankrupt or to ask officially for someone else to be made bankrupt

3. to register something officially

● to file an application for a patent

● to file a return to the tax office

♦ to file a return to the tax office US to fill in and send a tax return

♦ to file jointly to make a joint tax declaration

♦ to file separately to file two separate tax returns, one for the husband and one for the wife

◊ to file a petition in bankruptcy, to file for bankruptcy

1. to ask officially to be made bankrupt

2. to ask officially for someone else to be made bankrupt