"circular file" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_text": "In reference to its (the wastebasket’s) cylindrical shape, and the action of throwing things away rather than filing them in cabinets, which almost always had a rectangular shape.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "circular files",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "circular file (plural circular files)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "He was completely underqualified for the job, so I put his resume directly into the circular file.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The trash container; the wastebasket."
      ],
      "id": "en-circular_file-en-noun-SV7n~JhM",
      "links": [
        [
          "humorous",
          "humorous"
        ],
        [
          "trash",
          "trash"
        ],
        [
          "wastebasket",
          "wastebasket"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, humorous) The trash container; the wastebasket."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "round file"
        },
        {
          "word": "circular filing cabinet"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "humorous",
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "trash container, wastebasket",
          "word": "Rundordner"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-circular file.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/f/fe/En-au-circular_file.ogg/En-au-circular_file.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/En-au-circular_file.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "circular file"
}

{
  "etymology_text": "In reference to its (the wastebasket’s) cylindrical shape, and the action of throwing things away rather than filing them in cabinets, which almost always had a rectangular shape.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "circular files",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "circular file (plural circular files)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English countable nouns",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English humorous terms",
        "English idioms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English nouns",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "Entries with translation boxes",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Terms with German translations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "He was completely underqualified for the job, so I put his resume directly into the circular file.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The trash container; the wastebasket."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "humorous",
          "humorous"
        ],
        [
          "trash",
          "trash"
        ],
        [
          "wastebasket",
          "wastebasket"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic, humorous) The trash container; the wastebasket."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "round file"
        },
        {
          "word": "circular filing cabinet"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "humorous",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-circular file.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/f/fe/En-au-circular_file.ogg/En-au-circular_file.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/En-au-circular_file.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "trash container, wastebasket",
      "word": "Rundordner"
    }
  ],
  "word": "circular file"
}