what is a dossier

A dossier is a collection of papers or other sources containing detailed information about a particular person or subject. It can refer to a file containing detailed records on a particular person or subject, such as a patients medical dossier or a police dossier on a criminal. Dossiers can also be used to compile information on any subject, not just people. The term can also refer to specific dossiers, such as the Farewell Dossier, which documents a KGB defector gave to the French DST in 1981-82, or the Steele dossier, which contains allegations of a conspiracy between Trumps 2016 campaign and the Russian government. The word "dossier" comes from the French word "dos," meaning "back," and may have originally referred to the fact that the labels of dossiers were affixed to the back or spine of each file.