Metafile

What is metafile?
A metafile is a file that contains specifications for another file. Metafiles are often associated with digital graphics, especially vector images. However, metafiles can contain other formats such as bitmaps or other data. Metafiles that contain audio, video, and (in some cases) text are often referred to as container files.
The word “metafile” basically translates into “beyond” or “before” file. The metafile is used to give an existing file an external function. The use of the word “file” to explain electronically stored data can be traced back to an RCA advertisement for electron tubes in 1950. Since then, files have expanded significantly in terms of format, function, and performance.

The metafile is typically used to outline specifications for a graphics file, but metafiles have evolved over the years to perform other functions