fil
n. countablen. a very thin thread or wire. It is often used to describe the delicate parts of a spider's web or a light bulb.
n. a slender, threadlike object or fiber, such as those found in animal or plant structures or the wire in an incandescent lamp.
The spider hung from a single fil of silk.
The jeweler used a tiny fil of gold to repair the delicate antique necklace.
In the early days of electrical engineering, inventors experimented with various carbonized materials to find a fil that could withstand high heat without breaking.
Clipping of filmjölk via Swedish fil. Also related to Finnish viili.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Often used in technical or literary contexts to describe extreme thinness.
Last updated May 6, 2026