Fillet is a word with several distinctclearly different from one another; not the same meanings. It can refer to cutting meat or fish into a bonelesshaving had all bones removed piece, the piece itself, a narrow metal joining strip, a nerve bundle, a headband, or a decorativemade to look attractive rather than useful lace pattern.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˈfɪlɪt/
Easy pronunciation: FIL-lit (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the first syllable.
Use this for the noun meaning a boneless steak cut from the tenderloin of beef.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Fillet Meaning
a tender boneless cut of beef
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a boneless steak cut from the tenderloin of beef
Example: We ordered fillet steak for dinner.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- filet — Standard variant spelling used for the same cut of beef.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Fillet
Meaning 2
to cut meat or fish into fillets
Part of speech: verb
Definition: cut into filets
Example: She filleted the fish before cooking it.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- filet — Variant spelling of the verb in this sense.
Meaning 3
a boneless piece of fish
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a longitudinal slice or boned side of a fish
Example: He cooked a fillet of salmon.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- filet — Variant spelling of the same fish cut.
- fish filet — Specific fish-cut term.
- fish fillet — Specific fish-cut term.
Meaning 4
a narrow welded metal strip used to join steel parts
Part of speech: noun
Definition: fastener consisting of a narrow strip of welded metal used to join steel members
Example: The steel joint was reinforced with a fillet.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- stopping — Listed as a synonym in the source, but it is technical and not a common everyday substitute.
Meaning 5
a bundle of nerve fibers leading to the thalamus
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a bundle of sensory nerve fibers going to the thalamus
Example: The scan showed damage to the lemniscus.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- lemniscus — Technical anatomical term for this structure.
Meaning 6
a narrow ribbon or headband
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a narrow headband or strip of ribbon worn as a headband
Example: She wore a fillet across her forehead.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- taenia — Classical term for this type of headband.
- tenia — Variant spelling of the classical term.
Meaning 7
to decorate with a geometric lace pattern
Part of speech: verb
Definition: decorate with a lace of geometric designs
Example: The border was filleted with a delicate pattern.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- filet — Variant spelling of the verb in this sense.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Fillet Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- filet
fish cut
- filet
- fish filet
- fish fillet
technical metal fastener
- stopping
nerve bundle
- lemniscus
headband
- taenia
- tenia
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Do not confuse fillet the food cut with filet, the spelling variant used in the same senses.
- Do not confuse fillet with similar-looking words used in other fields, such as nerve anatomy or metallurgy.
- The verb fillet means to cut into filets; it does not mean to season, grill, or simply slice any food.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does fillet mean in cooking?
In cooking, fillet usually means a boneless cut of meat or fish, or the action of removing bones and cutting the food into that shape.
Is filet the same as fillet?
Yes. Filet is a common spelling variant of fillet in the food-related senses and the verb sense.
What are the synonyms of fillet?
The best synonym depends on the sense. For the beef cut, filet is the main synonym. For fish, filet, fish filet, and fish fillet are relevant. Other senses have technical terms such as lemniscus, taenia, tenia, and stopping.
Is fillet ever used outside food?
Yes. It can also refer to a metal joining strip, a nerve bundle, a headband, or a decorative geometric pattern.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.