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filé

 - 2 dictionary results

fi⋅lé

[fi-ley, fee-ley]
–noun New Orleans Cookery.
a powder made from the ground leaves of the sassafras tree, used as a thickener and to impart a pungent taste to soups, gumbos, and other dishes.
Also called filé powder.


Origin:
1800–10, Americanism; < LaF; lit., twisted, ropy, stringy (perh. orig. applied to dishes thickened with the powder), ptp. of F filer; see file 1
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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fi·lé   (fē'lā, fĭ-lā')   
n.  Powdered sassafras leaves used to thicken and season soups, stews, and gumbos.

[Louisiana French, from French, past participle of filer, to spin thread (from its effect when added to hot liquids), from Old French; see file1.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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