file-cabinet

Definition

Noun:
- A piece of office furniture: A "file-cabinet" is a container with drawers, typically made of metal or wood, used for storing and organizing documents, folders, and records in an office or home setting.

Usage Examples

Noun:
- I need to buy a new file-cabinet to organize my tax records. (A storage unit for documents.)
- She opened the file-cabinet and pulled out the client folder. (A drawer-based container for files.)
- The office has a metal file-cabinet for confidential papers. (A storage piece for important documents.)

Advanced Usage

"to be filed away in a file-cabinet": to be stored in a systematic manner.
- All the contracts are filed away in the file-cabinet in the corner. (They are organized and stored for later reference.)
"to have a file-cabinet mentality": a figurative expression meaning a rigid, bureaucratic approach to organizing information.
- The manager's file-cabinet mentality prevented creative solutions. (An overly structured, inflexible way of thinking.)

Variants and Related Words

Filing cabinet (n): an alternative spelling or phrasing for the same piece of furniture.
- Please put these papers in the filing cabinet. (The same storage unit.)
File (n): a folder or collection of documents stored in such a cabinet.
- I need to find the file on the Johnson account. (A specific document or folder.)

Synonyms

Phrasal Verbs

File away: to put documents into a file-cabinet for storage.
- Please file away these invoices in the cabinet. (Store them in an organized manner.)
Pull from the file-cabinet: to retrieve documents from storage.
- I need to pull the old reports from the file-cabinet. (Remove them for use.)

Related Idioms

Have a file-cabinet mind: to have an exceptionally organized memory.
- She has a file-cabinet mind; she remembers every detail. (A mind that stores information like a cabinet.)
Open the file-cabinet: to start examining stored information.
- Let's open the file-cabinet and see what we have on this case. (Begin reviewing stored data.)