noun
Common
filing
FEYE-lihng
Filing (noun) means a tiny shaving or particle scraped off by a file or similar tool. Example: “She swept the iron filings off the table into a small tin.”
noun
1
A tiny shaving or particle scraped off by a file or similar tool.
"She swept the iron filings off the table into a small tin."
"A magnet picked up every filing that had fallen into the sawdust."
"Metal filings scattered across the workbench as he smoothed the edge."
2
The act of submitting or archiving an official document.
"The filing of all the paperwork took our clerk most of the afternoon."
"The filing of the lawsuit made headlines the next morning."
"Late filing of the tax return led to a penalty."
How to use filing
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the tiny scraps left over from filing metal, or the act of formally submitting/storing a document.
Common pairings
tax filing
court filing
metal filings
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Word forms
- Plural
- filings
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She swept the iron _____ off the table into a small tin.
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Rhymes for filing
See all rhymes for filing →Frequently asked questions
What does “filing” mean?
The word “filing” means a tiny shaving or particle scraped off by a file or similar tool. In plain terms, either the tiny scraps left over from filing metal, or the act of formally submitting/storing a document.
How do you pronounce “filing”?
“Filing” is pronounced FEYE-lihng (/ˈfaɪ.lɪŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “filing” in a sentence?
Here is “filing” used in a sentence: “Metal filings scattered across the workbench as he smoothed the edge.”
What part of speech is “filing”?
“Filing” is a noun.
Is “filing” a common word?
“Filing” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “filing” have?
“Filing” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a tiny shaving or particle scraped off by a file or similar tool.
What is a filing in legal or official contexts?
A filing is the act of formally submitting a document to a court, regulator, or other authority, and by extension the submitted document itself, as in "a court filing" or "an annual filing." Once made, a filing usually becomes part of the official record.
What are iron filings?
Iron filings are the tiny particles scraped off iron by a file or similar tool. They are familiar from school science lessons, where they are sprinkled around a magnet to reveal the shape of its magnetic field.
Is the correct spelling filing or fileing?
The correct spelling is filing: the silent e of "file" is dropped before the -ing ending, following the normal English spelling rule. Note also that filling, with a double l, is a different word — the one used for teeth and pies.
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