filter

noun

/ˈfɪltə(r)/

/ˈfɪltər/

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a device containing paper, sand, chemicals, etc. that a liquid or gas is passed through in order to remove any materials that are not wanted
- an air/oil filter
- a coffee/water filter
- filter paper for the coffee machine
- He smokes cigarettes without filters.
Topics Scientific researchc1
a device that allows only particular types of light or sound to pass through it
- The camera has an anti-glare filter.
(computing) a program that processes information to leave out the types that are not wanted, or that stops particular types of electronic information, email, etc. from being sent to a computer
- Spam filters block out almost all threats.
Topics Phones, email and the internetc2
(British English) a light on a set of traffic lights showing that traffic can turn left (or right) while traffic that wants to go straight ahead or turn right (or left) must wait
- a filter lane

Word Originlate Middle English (denoting a piece of felt): from French filtre, from medieval Latin filtrum ‘felt used as a filter’, of West Germanic origin and related to felt.

filter

verb

/ˈfɪltə(r)/

/ˈfɪltər/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they filter	/ˈfɪltə(r)/ /ˈfɪltər/
he / she / it filters	/ˈfɪltəz/ /ˈfɪltərz/
past simple filtered	/ˈfɪltəd/ /ˈfɪltərd/
past participle filtered	/ˈfɪltəd/ /ˈfɪltərd/
-ing form filtering	/ˈfɪltərɪŋ/ /ˈfɪltərɪŋ/

Phrasal Verbs

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[transitive] filter something to pass liquid, light, etc. through a special device, especially to remove something that is not wanted
- All drinking water must be filtered.
- Use a sun block that filters UVA effectively.
- (figurative) My secretary is very good at filtering my calls (= making sure that calls that I do not want do not get through).
see also filtration
Wordfinder
- absorb
- condense
- dilute
- dissolve
- evaporate
- filter
- immerse
- liquid
- rinse
- saturated
[transitive] filter something to use a special program to check the content of emails or websites before they are sent to your computer
[intransitive] + adv./prep. (of people) to move slowly in a particular direction
- The doors opened and people started filtering through.
[intransitive] + adv./prep. (of information, news, etc.) to slowly become known
- More details about the crash are filtering through.
[intransitive] + adv./prep. (of light or sound) to come into a place slowly or in small amounts
- Sunlight filtered in through the curtains.
[intransitive] (British English) (of traffic at traffic lights) to turn left (or right) at traffic lights while other vehicles wanting to go straight ahead or turn right (or left) must waitTopics Transport by car or lorryc2

Word Originlate Middle English (denoting a piece of felt): from French filtre, from medieval Latin filtrum ‘felt used as a filter’, of West Germanic origin and related to felt.