Beau. & Fl.
2. To bring before a court or legislative body by presenting proper
papers in a regular way; as, to file a petition or bill. Burrill.
3. (Law) To put upon the files or among the records of a court; to note
on (a paper) the fact date of its reception in court.
To file a paper, on the part of a party, is to place it in the
official custody of the clerk. To file, on the part of the clerk,
is to indorse upon the paper the date of its reception, and retain
it in his office, subject to inspection by whomsoever it may
concern.
Burrill.
File, v. i. [Cf. F. filer.] (Mil.) To march in a file or line, as
soldiers, not abreast, but one after another; -- generally with off.
To file with, to follow closely, as one soldier after another in file;
to keep pace.
My endeavors Have ever come too short of my desires, Yet filed with
my abilities.
Shak.
File (fl), n. [AS. feÛl; akin to D. viji, OHG. fla, fhala, G. feile,
Sw. fil, Dan. fiil, cf. Icel. ˛l, Russ. pila, and Skr. piÁ to cut out,
adorn; perh. akin to E. paint.] 1. A steel instrument, having cutting
ridges or teeth, made by indentation with a chisel, used for abrading
or smoothing other substances, as metals, wood, etc.
A file differs from a rasp in having the furrows made by straight cuts
of a chisel, either single or crossed, while the rasp has coarse,
single teeth, raised by the pyramidal end of a triangular punch.
2. Anything employed to smooth, polish, or rasp, literally or
figuratively.
Mock the nice touches of the critic's file.
Akenside.