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Glite Dictionary
Indian file

Indian file

7.6
A single line of people or things one behind another
  • noun
  • /ˈɪndiən faɪl/
  • UK
translation icon : en fila india
  • The children walked in Indian file as they followed their teacher down the narrow path.

Examples

  • The hikers moved in Indian file along the mountain trail to avoid stepping on each other's heels.

  • I've seen cells align themselves in "Indian file" or gather into swirls as mesmerizing as Van Gogh's Starry Night.

    Academic text (1993)

  • The soldiers formed an Indian file while marching through the thick forest.

Synonyms

line
vsIndian file
∞ 1.0

A row of people or things standing one behind another

is only about items placed one directly behind another
file
vsIndian file
60 2.8

A line of people or things arranged one behind another

has the same meaning and no difference in arrangement
column
vsIndian file
41 2.5

A line of people or vehicles one behind another

is the general concept not limited to vehicles or units
single file
vsIndian file
19 2.8

A line of people or things where one is behind another

is a line of people or things arranged one behind another

Surface Forms

Indian file singular
Indian files plural

Morphology

Indian + file

This phrase is compositional: 'file' already means a line or column and the adjective 'Indian' simply specifies a type of file, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it denotes people arranged one behind another. The construction is also found in many other languages (e.g. Spanish 'fila india', French 'en file indienne'), supporting its transparent, cross-linguistic recognizability.

Etymology

Indian file may come from old descriptions of Indian hunters walking through forests in a single line to hide their tracks, and file here meant 'line'. So, Indian file now means 'a line of people one behind another'.