Fillet
/ˈfɪlɪt/noun
A thin strip or slice of meat, fish, or fabric; also a narrow band or headband.
Did you know?The word entered English through French from Latin *filum* (“thread”), so the modern “slice” sense grew out of the idea of a narrow threadlike strip rather than a cut of flesh.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peh₂i-
“to spin, thread, or bind together”
Latin
Latin
filum
“thread or filament”
Late Latin
Latin
filētum
“a little thread or band”
Old French
Old French
filet
“a small band, ribbon, or net; later, a strip of meat or fish”
Middle English
English
filet / fillet
“a narrow band, strip, or slice”