# file off the serial numbers

> English word · Verb

## Definitions
1. To alter identifiable details in a creative work in order to conceal its origin.
2. To alter identifiable details in a creative work in order to conceal its origin.

## Etymology
From the practice of filing the serial numbers off of firearms in order to make their origin and ownership difficult to trace.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/file-off-the-serial-numbers