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- Dictionaryframe/frām/
noun
- 1. a rigid structure that surrounds or encloses something such as a door or window. Similar settingmountmountingsurroundfixturesupportstand
- ▪ a metal or plastic structure holding the lenses of a pair of glasses.
- ▪ a case or border enclosing a mirror or picture.
- ▪ the rigid supporting structure of an object such as a vehicle, building, or piece of furniture: "the wooden frame of the huge bed" Similar frameworkstructuresubstructureskeletonchassisshellcasingbodybodyworksupportscaffoldingfoundation
- ▪ a boxlike structure of glass or plastic in which seeds or young plants are grown.
- ▪ the universe, or part of it, regarded as an embracing structure: archaic "this goodly frame the Earth"
- 2. a person's body with reference to its size or build: "a shiver shook her slim frame" Similar bodyfigureformshapephysiquebuildsizeproportionsskeletonbonesframeworkstructureinformal:bodchassis
- 3. a basic structure that underlies or supports a system, concept, or text: "the establishment of conditions provides a frame for interpretation" Similar structureframeworkcontextschemesystemplanorderformfabricconstitutionorganization
- ▪ short for frame of reference technical
- ▪ the genre or form of a literary text determining its expected style and content: "my poems look as though they have a classical frame"
- ▪ an enclosing section of narrative, especially one which foregrounds or comments on the primary narrative of a text: "a frame narrator reports the narrative spoken by an inner narrator"
- ▪ the structure, constitution, or nature of someone or something: archaic "we have in our inward frame various affections"
- 4. a structural environment within which a class of words or other linguistic units can be correctly used. For example I — him is a frame for a large class of transitive verbs.
- 5. a single complete picture in a series forming a movie, television, or video film: "video footage slowed down to 20 frames a second"
- ▪ a single picture in a comic strip.
- ▪ a graphic panel in a display window, especially in a web browser, which encloses a self-contained section of data and permits multiple independent document viewing.
- 6. another term for rack
- ▪ a round of play in bowling.
- ▪ an inning in a baseball game: informal US "he closed out the game by pitching two hitless frames"
- 7. short for frame-up North American
verb
- 1. place (a picture or photograph) in a frame: "he had the photo framed" Similar mountset in a framesurroundencloseencase
- ▪ surround so as to create a sharp or attractive image: "a short, strong style cut to frame the face"
- 2. create or formulate (a concept, plan, or system): "the staff have proved invaluable in framing the proposals" Similar formulatedraw upplandraftmap outsketch outwork outshapecomposeput togetherarrangeformdevisecreateestablishconceivethink uphatchoriginateorchestrateengineerorganizecoordinateinformal:dream upcook up
- ▪ form or articulate (words): "he walked out before she could frame a reply"
- ▪ make or construct (something) by fitting parts together or in accordance with a plan: archaic "what immortal hand or eye could frame thy fearful symmetry?"
- 3. produce false evidence against (an innocent person) so that they appear guilty: informal "he claims he was framed" Similar falsely incriminatefabricate charges againstfabricate evidence againstentrapinformal:fit upset up
- 4. erect the framework of a building. US
Word Origin Old Englishframian ‘be useful’, of Germanic origin and related to from. The general sense in Middle English, ‘make ready for use’, probably led to frame (sense 2 of the verb); it also gave rise to the specific meaning ‘prepare timber for use in building’, later ‘make the wooden parts (framework) of a building’, hence the noun sense ‘structure’ (late Middle English).
Derivatives
- 1. frameable adjective
- 2. frameless adjective
Scrabble Points: 10
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4R
1A
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3E
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