variants
or less commonly filet
fi-ˈlā 
ˈfi-(ˌ)lā
1
: a ribbon or narrow strip of material used especially as a headband
2
a
: a thin narrow strip of material
b
: a piece or slice of boneless meat or fish
especially
: the tenderloin of beef
3
a
: 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
filleted; filleting; fillets
Examples of fillet in a Sentence
Noun
a juicy fillet of beef
Verb
He carefully filleted the fish with a sharp knife.
Recent Examples on the Web
Mary Ann Esposito, Boston Herald, 16 Apr. 2025
One halibut fillet contains about 245 calories, 29 grams of protein, and 11 grams of carbohydrates.4
3.
—Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 3 Apr. 2025
Nick Nuttall, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
For people new to fishing this can be intimidating, but filleting your catch is not that difficult.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 15 Sep. 2023
See All Example Sentences for fillet
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Sprinkle the onions over the fillets and add the lemon slices and fennel.
—Mary Ann Esposito, Boston Herald, 16 Apr. 2025
One halibut fillet contains about 245 calories, 29 grams of protein, and 11 grams of carbohydrates.4
3.
—Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 3 Apr. 2025
Verb
In the case of Pelagia, higher temperatures are critical, for example for turning the skin and bones left behind after filleting fish, into a watery soup which is then dried and transformed into a fine, dry powder for animal feed.
—Nick Nuttall, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
For people new to fishing this can be intimidating, but filleting your catch is not that difficult.
—Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 15 Sep. 2023
See All Example Sentences for fillet
Cite this Entry
“Fillet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fillet. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share