Meaning – The term metafile, refers to a file containing a series of attributes that set color, shape, and size, usually of a picture or a drawing. Using a program that can interpret these attributes, a user can view the assembled image.
A metafile can refer to two different types of computer files. The first is a file that describes the contents of other files. This type of metafile may contain metadata, which defines a group of other files and gives a summary of what data they contain.
The second type of metafile is most often used in computer graphics. These files define objects and images using a list of coordinates. However, metafiles can contain other formats as well, such as bitmaps or other data.
Example of usage – “Metafiles that contain audio, video and (in some cases) text are often referred to as container files.”
