file past
B2 neutral inseparable intransitive
In simple words
To walk slowly past something in a line, one after another.
Literal meaning: To pass in a file (a single line of people).
Meanings
1 B2 neutral
To move in a slow, orderly single-file line past a person, object, or place, especially in a ceremonial context.
"Thousands of mourners filed past the open casket to pay their respects."
""For hours, members of the public filed past the coffin.""
— BBC News, coverage of Queen Elizabeth II's lying in state, September 2022
Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes
Frequently used in solemn or ceremonial contexts, such as mourners filing past a coffin or citizens filing past a monument. Conveys reverence, order, or formality.
Commonly used with
coffin casket monument guard of honour display camera
Forms
Base
file past
I/you/we/they
3rd person
files past
he/she/it
Past simple
filed past
yesterday
Past participle
filed past
have + pp
-ing form
filing past
continuous
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