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Glite Dictionary
text file

text file

4 2.7
A computer file that has only plain text
  • noun
  • /tɛkst faɪl/
  • Specialized
: archivo de texto
  • The results are immediately displayed and can be exported to a text file if desired.
  • ASCII text file
  • save a text file

You have to include a little text file, set dot ini file, do a little bit of light coding.

Examples

  • All interviews were recorded using digital voice recorders and were later transcribed to a text file for analysis.

    Academic text (2009)

  • The system centers around two text files, todo.txt and done.txt.

    Blog text (7)

  • And but if you just have a small amount, just a flat text file or a list is great.

  • One was a large text file with a series of jokes; some of them were even funny.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • A cookie is a small text file that is placed on a visitor's web browser.

    Blog text (7)

  • Installing a JavaScript framework is as simple as including a text file on your site.

    Blog text (14)

  • It's a plain ASCII text file.

    The Martian (2015)

  • All information other than titles was deleted from the files, and the titles were organized into ASCII text files based on decades.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Once again, because this system centers around two plain text files stored in Dropbox, automation becomes a piece of cake.

    Blog text (7)

  • You can easily open a text file with any word processing software.

Synonyms

file
vstext file
∞ 1.0

A container for keeping papers and records

is the specific computer object that contains plain readable text rather than any stored item
document
vstext file
∞ 2.0

A paper or electronic file that gives official information

is stored computer data meant mainly as plain readable content, not necessarily official
computer file
vstext file
13 2.2

A collection of information saved on a computer under a name

is specifically limited to plain, human readable text rather than any stored data
txt
vstext file
  • Specialized
3 4.6

A simple computer file that only contains plain text and no formatting

is less restricted and accepts multiple encodings like Unicode
electronic text
vstext file
  • Specialized
1 3.7

Text in a computer file that you can read on a screen

is a named computer item that stores that digital text for use
ASCII text file
vstext file
  • Specialized
3.5

A file that has only plain letters, numbers, and symbols with no special formatting

is broader, allowing other encodings like Unicode rather than ASCII only

How Long

book
∞ 1.0
manuscript
129 6.5
document
∞ 2.0
text file
  • Specialized
4 2.7
snippet
36 4.8

Surface Forms

text file singular
text files plural

Morphology

text + file

The meaning 'a computer file that contains text' is directly and transparently compositional from 'text' (written content) + 'file' (a collection/document). This noun-noun compound follows common English and cross-linguistic patterns (e.g., Spanish 'archivo de texto', French 'fichier texte', Japanese 'テキストファイル'), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will infer the meaning.

Etymology

Text file: The name text file comes from early computers where plain typed text was stored in a simple file, like a sheet of paper kept in a folder. That's why text file now means a computer file that holds words you can read.