fillet
noun
fil·let
| \ ˈfi-lət
, in sense 2b also fi-ˈlā, ˈfi-(ˌ)lā
\
, in sense 2b also fi-ˈlā, ˈfi-(ˌ)lā
\
variants:
or less commonly filet \ fi-ˈlā
, ˈfi-(ˌ)lā \
, ˈfi-(ˌ)lā \
Definition of fillet
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: a ribbon or narrow strip of material used especially as a headband
2a
: a thin narrow strip of material
b
: a piece or slice of boneless meat or fish
especially
: the tenderloin of beef
3a
: a concave junction formed where two surfaces meet (as at an angle)
b
: a strip that gives a rounded appearance to such a junction
also
: a strip to reinforce the corner where two surfaces meet
4
: a narrow flat architectural member:
a
: a flat molding separating others
b
: the space between two flutings (see flute entry 1 sense 3) in a shaft
fillet
verb
fil·let
| \ ˈfi-lət
, in sense 2 also fi-ˈlā, ˈfi-(ˌ)lā\
, in sense 2 also fi-ˈlā, ˈfi-(ˌ)lā\
filleted;
filleting;
fillets
Definition of fillet (Entry 2 of 2)
Examples of fillet in a Sentence
Noun
a juicy fillet of beefVerb
He carefully filleted the fish with a sharp knife.Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
But with changing eating habits and the explosion of new barbecue restaurants, Sam gradually expanded and modernized Demetri’s menu, including the addition of low-carb specials featuring chicken fillet, beef brisket, or smoked tuna. — Eric Velasco, al.com, "Learn the decades-old secrets of this Homewood barbecue joint," 24 June 2019 Add the coconut milk, then immediately remove the pan from the heat and carefully turn each fillet over. — Nik Sharma, SFChronicle.com, "Recipe: Macher Malaikari (Fish in Coconut Milk)," 21 June 2019 Using half the paste, coat one side of each fillet. — CBS News, "The Dish: Chef Priya Krishna reveals her signature recipes," 15 June 2019 Gertrude went into the kitchen, coated fish fillets with cornmeal and fried them for everyone. — Lizzie Presser, ProPublica, "The Reels Brothers Spent Eight Years in Jail for Refusing to Leave It.," 15 July 2019 Remove the pork fillets, cover them with aluminum foil, and keep them warm. — Multiple Authors, House Beautiful, "Quick and Easy Pork Fillets in Wine Recipe," 5 Aug. 2010 Place a halibut fillet on top of the pasta on each plate and spoon remaining sauce from the casserole over the fish. — Wolfgang Puck, Twin Cities, "Summer sauce: This fish dish highlights the season’s tomato harvest," 24 July 2019 Here are the pro steps to getting it right, with tips on heat and timing, from whole fish to fillets to kebabs. — Chicago Tribune Staff, chicagotribune.com, "9 great recipes for summer grilling," 5 July 2019 Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet and, working in batches, cook 2 fillets until golden brown, about 4 minutes. — The Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, Good Housekeeping, "Lime Tilapia with Citrus-Avocado Salsa," 1 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
An anonymous tip to Texas Game Wardens uncovered multiple people who were catching, killing and filleting endangered sea turtles on South Padre Island, officials said. — Michelle Iracheta, Houston Chronicle, "GRAPHIC PHOTOS: Suspects killed and filleted endangered species of turtles, officials say," 26 Aug. 2019 Dover sole is presented with the solemnity of a religious rite, arriving via cart on a silver pan, filleted tableside and served with lobster sauce and hazelnuts alongside a crispy disk of black rice inlaid with edamame. — Phil Vettel, chicagotribune.com, "Triple-threat dining: Aboyer and Silencieux join George Trois for a Winnetka trifecta," 5 Aug. 2019 But still, hoping to reduce any riverine poisons in the fish, which was pulled from a stretch full of rusty shopping carts, stinky muck and copious garbage, Jubilado meticulously bled and filleted his catch immediately after netting it. — Jesse Pearson, latimes.com, "Fly fishing for ‘sewer salmon’ in the L.A. River," 11 July 2019 The two officers also found more than 70 bags of filleted panfish. — Micah Walker, Detroit Free Press, "Gladwin fisherman caught with more than 1,400 panfish in garage," 22 Aug. 2019 Our children and neighbors’ kids flocked to its sides to learn to fillet fish. — Popular Mechanics, "A Homesteading Necessity: The Neighborhood Workbench," 30 June 2019 McDonald has proposed that the leftovers after the fish are filleted be used as bait. — Andrew Hetherington, National Geographic, "Maine is running out of lobster bait. Is salmon the answer?," 1 May 2019 Yes, there’s a perfect way of roasting a chicken, filleting fish, of doing all these things. — Rachel King, Fortune, "Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski on Netflix, Social Media, and Opening a Restaurant," 30 June 2019 There will be flowers, singing, men and women in white robes, and filleted human corpses flopping about. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, "Midsommar Loses Its Plot Under a Sinister Midnight Sun," 27 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fillet.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for fillet
fillet
noun
English Language Learners Definition of fillet
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a piece or slice of boneless meat or fish
fillet
verb
English Language Learners Definition of fillet (Entry 2 of 2)
: to cut (meat or fish) into fillets
See the full definition for fillet in the English Language Learners Dictionary
fillet
noun
fil·let
| \ ˈfi-lət
, fi-ˈlā\
, fi-ˈlā\
Kids Definition of fillet
: a piece of boneless meat or fish
fillet
noun
fil·let
| \ ˈfil-ət
\
\
Medical Definition of fillet
: a band of anatomical fibers
specifically
: lemniscus