English Reference
Noun

fillet

n.
C2 Proficiency US /fəˈɫeɪ/ fil·let UK spelling filet, fillets Anatomy Architecture Engineering

n.a thin, flat piece of meat, like beef or fish, that is cut from the bone. It is also a thin strip of stone or wood used to decorate a building.

n.a thin, flat piece of meat, typically cut from a bone; also, a thin strip of stone, wood, or metal used as a decorative element in architecture or sculpture.


SIMPLE

The chef prepared a delicate fillet of salmon for the main course.

CONTEXTUAL

The architect specified that the entrance should be framed with a gold fillet to highlight the carved stone.

COMPLEX

The restoration team carefully cleaned the marble fillet, revealing the intricate carvings that had been hidden by centuries of grime and neglect.

During its price freeze period, Woolworths increased the retail price of 350g packs of RSPCA-approved chicken breast fillets by 33%.

The Guardian· 10 Sept 2026

Inside a waterfront factory, workers in hairnets and blue overalls are sorting freshly caught cod and haddock, and machines process the fish into fillets, mostly bound for Europe.

BBC News· 26 Aug 2026

From Middle English filet, vylette, felet, filette, flette, from Old French filet, diminutive of fil (“thread”), from Latin fīlum (“thread”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin fīlum
Level C2 · Proficiency
Frequency Occasional
Updated