• n. 侧面；轮廓；外形；剖面；简况
• vt. 描…的轮廓；扼要描述
• vi. 给出轮廓

pro-,向前，-fil,线，线条，词源同file,filament.即画出线条轮廓，引申诸相当词义。

profile

profile: [17] The -file of profile is etymologically a ‘thread’. The word comes from early modern Italian profilo, a derivative of profilare ‘draw in outline’. This was a compound verb formed from the prefix pro- ‘forward’ and filare, which used to mean ‘draw a line’; and this in turn went back to Latin filāre ‘spin’, a derivative of filum ‘thread’ (from which English gets file for storing things in).
=> file

profile (n.)

1650s, "a drawing of the outline of anything," from older Italian profilo "a drawing in outline," from profilare "to draw in outline," from pro- "forth" (see pro-) + filare "draw out, spin," from Late Latin filare "to spin, draw out a line," from filum "thread" (see file (v.1)). Meaning "a side view" is from 1660s. Meaning "biographical sketch, character study" is from 1734.

profile (v.)

1715, "to represent in profile," from profile (n.) or Italian profilare. Meaning "to summarize a person in writing" is from 1948. Related: Profiled; profiling.

1. The police deliberately kept a low profile in most places.

警方在大多数地方有意保持低调。

来自柯林斯例句

2. Tony has now been thrust into the limelight, with a high-profile job.

托尼现在一下子成了众人关注的中心，因为他有一份经常出镜、见报的工作。

来自柯林斯例句

3. This picture shows the girl in profile.

这张照片照的是女孩的侧面。

来自柯林斯例句

4. Football is a high profile business.

足球是一个引人注目的产业。

来自柯林斯例句

5. Commercialisation has given many sports a higher profile.

商业化已经让多项体育运动有了更高的公众关注度。

来自柯林斯例句