How to pronounce defile
American English pronunciation
dih-FYLE
- IPA
- /dɪˈfaɪl/
- Syllables
- dih · FYLE (2 syllables, stress on the 2nd)
- Also said
- DEE-fyle
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What defile means
Most people know defile in its everyday sense. Here's its other meaning.
A narrow pass between hills or cliffs
In a sentence: The travelers led their mules one by one through the rocky defile.
Where it comes from: It comes from the French défilé, a line of people going along one after another. It is a different word from defile, to make dirty.
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