Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense frames, present participle framing, past tense, past participle framed
1. countable noun
The frame of a picture or mirror is the wood, metal, or plastic that is fitted around it, especially when it is displayed or hung on a wall.
Estelle kept a photograph of her mother in a silver frame on the kitchen mantelpiece.
...a pair of picture frames.
Synonyms: mounting, setting, surround, mount More Synonyms of frame
2. countable noun
The frame of an object such as a building, chair, or window is the arrangement of wooden, metal, or plastic bars between which othermaterial is fitted, and which give the object its strength and shape.
He supplied housebuilders with modern timber frames.
With difficulty he released the mattress from the metal frame, and groped beneathit.
We painted our table to match the window frame in the bedroom.
Synonyms: casing, framework, structure, shell More Synonyms of frame
3. countable noun [usually plural]
The frames of a pair of glasses are all the metal or plastic parts of it, but not the lenses.
He was wearing new spectacles with gold wire frames.
4. countable noun [oft poss NOUN]
You can refer to someone's body as their frame, especially when you are describing the general shape of their body.
Their belts are pulled tight against their bony frames.
Synonyms: physique, build, form, body More Synonyms of frame
5. countable noun
A frame of cinema film is one of the many separate photographs that it consists of.
Standard 8mm projects at 16 frames per second.
6. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
A frame building is one in which pieces of wood form the most important part of the structure,rather than bricks or stone.
[US]
He lives in a white-painted frame house behind a picket fence up in Connecticut.
7. verb [usually passive]
When a picture or photograph is framed, it is put in a frame.
The picture is now ready to be mounted and framed. [beVERB-ed]
On the wall is a large framed photograph. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: mount, case, enclose, set More Synonyms of frame
8. verb [usually passive]
If an object is framed by a particular thing, it is surrounded by that thing in a way that makes the objectmore striking or attractive to look at.
The swimming pool is framed by tropical gardens. [beVERB-ed preposition]
An elegant occasional table is framed in the window. [beVERB-ed preposition]
Synonyms: surround, ring, enclose, close in More Synonyms of frame
9. verb
If someone frames something such as a set of rules, a plan, or a system, they create and develop it.
[written]
After the war, a convention was set up to frame a constitution. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: devise, plan, form, shape More Synonyms of frame
10. verb
If someone frames something in a particular style or kind of language, they express it in that way.
The story is framed in a format that is part thriller, part love story. [beVERB-ed preposition/adverb]
He framed this question three different ways in search of an answer. [VERB noun noun]
[Also VERB noun preposition/adverb]
Synonyms: express, word, phrase, couch More Synonyms of frame
11. verb
If someone frames an innocent person, they make other people think that that person is guilty of a crime, by lying or inventing evidence.
[informal]
I need to find out who tried to frame me. [VERB noun]
He claimed that he had been framed by the police. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: falsely incriminate, set up [informal], fit up [slang] More Synonyms of frame
12.
See in the frame
13. See also cold frame
More Synonyms of frame
frame in British English
(freɪm)
noun
1.
an open structure that gives shape and support to something, such as the transverse stiffening ribs of a ship's hull or an aircraft's fuselage or the skeletal beams and uprights of a building
2.
an enclosing case or border into which something is fitted
the frame of a picture
3.
the system around which something is built up
the frame of government
4.
the structure of the human body
5.
a condition; state (esp in the phrase frame of mind)
6.
a.
one of a series of individual exposures on a strip of film used in making motion pictures
b.
an individual exposure on a film used in still photography
c.
an individual picture in a comic strip
7.
a.
a television picture scanned by one or more electron beams at a particular frequency
b.
the area of the picture so formed
8. billiards, snooker
a.
the wooden triangle used to set up the balls
b.
the balls when set up
c.
a single game finished when all the balls have been potted
US and Canadian equivalent (for senses 8a, 8b): rack
9. computing
(on a website) a self-contained section that functions independently from other parts; by using frames, a websitedesigner can make some areas of a website remain constant while others change according to the choices made by the internet user
10. short for cold frame
11.
one of the sections of which a beehive is composed, esp one designed to hold a honeycomb
12.
a machine or part of a machine over which yarn is stretched in the production of textiles
13.
(in language teaching, etc) a syntactic construction with a gap in it, used for assigning words to syntactic classes by seeing which words may fill the gap
14. statistics
an enumeration of a population for the purposes of sampling, esp as the basis of a stratified sample
15.
(in telecommunications, computers, etc) one cycle of a regularly recurring number of pulses in a pulse train
16. slang another word for frame-up
17. obsolete
shape; form
18. in the frame
verb(mainly tr)
19.
to construct by fitting parts together
20.
to draw up the plans or basic details for; outline
to frame a policy
21.
to compose, contrive, or conceive
to frame a reply
22.
to provide, support, or enclose with a frame
to frame a picture
23.
to form (words) with the lips, esp silently
24. slang
to conspire to incriminate (someone) on a false charge
25. slang
to contrive the dishonest outcome of (a contest, match, etc); rig
26. (intransitive) Yorkshire and Northeast England dialect
a. (usually imperative or dependent imperative)
to make an effort
b.
to have ability
Derived forms
framable (ˈframable) or frameable (ˈframeable)
adjective
frameless (ˈframeless)
adjective
framer (ˈframer)
noun
Word origin
Old English framiae to avail; related to Old Frisian framia to carry out, Old Norse frama
Frame in British English
(freɪm)
noun
Janet. 1924–2004, New Zealand writer: author of the novels Owls Do Cry (1957) and Faces in the Water (1961), the collection of verse The Pocket (1967), and volumes of autobiography including An Angel at My Table (1984), which was made into a film in 1990
frame in American English
(freɪm)
verb transitiveWord forms: framed or ˈframing
1.
to shape, fashion, or form, usually according to a pattern; design
to frame a constitution
2.
to put together the parts of; construct
3.
to put into words; compose; devise; contrive; conceive
to frame an excuse
4.
to utter
his lips framed the words
5.
to adapt for a particular use; adjust; fit
a law framed to equalize the tax burden
6.
to enclose in a border; provide a border for (a mirror, picture, etc.)
7.
to photograph or film (objects or activity) within the limits of the frame (sense 23) frame (sense 23b)
8. US, Informal
to falsify evidence, testimony, etc. beforehand in order to make (an innocent person) appear guilty
9. Obsolete
to bring about; cause
verb intransitive
10. Obsolete
to proceed or succeed; go
noun
11.
a. Archaic
anything made of parts fitted together according to a design
b.
body structure in general; build
12.
basic or skeletal structure around which a thing is built and that gives the thingits shape; framework, as of a house
13.
a.
the skeletal framework supporting the chassis of some automotive vehicles
b.
cold frame
c.
the case or border into which a window, door, etc. is set and which serves as a structural support
d.
a border, often ornamental, surrounding a picture, etc.; also, the picture or othermatter inside such a border
e. [pl.]
the framing of a pair of eyeglasses; rims
14.
any of various machines built on or in a framework
15.
the way that anything is constructed or put together; organization; form
16.
a set of circumstances that serve as background to an event
17.
condition; state
a bad frame of mind
18.
an established order or system
19. US, Baseball; Informal
an inning
20. US, Informal
the act of framing an innocent person
see also frame (sense 8)
21. Bowling Etc
any of the ten divisions of a game, in each of which the pins are set up anew
22. Linguistics
a syntactic construction with a blank left in it for testing which words will occur there
23. US, Cinema
a.
each of the small exposures composing a strip of film
b.
the rectangular image on a film screen, or the particular objects or activity focused on by the camera
24. Pool
a.
rack1
b.
the period of play required to pocket all the balls
25. Shipbuilding
any of the transverse strengthening members of a ship's hull that extend from the gunwale to the keel
26. Television
a single scanning of the field of vision by the electron beam
adjective
27. US
having a wooden framework, usually covered with boards
a frame house
Word origin
ME framen < frame, a structure, frame, prob. < ON frami, profit, benefit, akin to frama, to further < fram, forward (akin to OE fram, from); some senses < OE framian, to be helpful: see furnish
More idioms containing
frame
in the frame for something
Examples of 'frame' in a sentence
frame
Simply hang a blank canvas inside a picture frame and ask guests to write their new year wishes.
The Sun (2016)
The time frame actually makes sense.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He can make the frame.
The Sun (2016)
I've got it framed in my house.
The Sun (2016)
It has a classy metal frame, strong glass and three-week battery life.
The Sun (2016)
At last, a swish handbag with a metal frame that doesn't snap shut and take your fingernails off with it.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
UPSIDE The floor-to-ceiling windows frame the impressive sea views.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
There is a framed picture above my desk.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
This is enhanced by the way in which the story is framed.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Wooden pallets were turned upright to form vertical frames in which paintings could be slotted and displayed.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The wooden frame is constructed from reclaimed floorboards.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Large frames that overpower your face or narrow frames that will make it appear longer.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
We have already seen how the frame of a photograph can interact with the image.
Freeman, Michael Collins Complete Guide to Photography (1993)
No one has a frame of reference.
Al Ries and Jack Trout THE 22 IMMUTABLE LAWS OF MARKETING (1993)
The triangle is the strongest simple shape that a frame can be made into.
Chapman, C. & Horsley, M. & Small, E. Technology Basic Facts (1990)
Their books look back on a framed moment rather than a narrative fragment.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The gap between window frames and the opening is a favourite spot.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The best quality cabinet doors have solid wood frames that surround solid wood or plywood centre panels.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
This was a film framed by an arched eyebrow.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Your emotions are affecting the way you frame the observations.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Frame structures often make great use of triangles because they are the strongestshape.
Chapman, C. & Horsley, M. & Small, E. Technology Basic Facts (1990)
The rest is captured in the frames pictured.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
At first he had begun chewing at the wooden frame.
Jan Fennell, Foreword by Monty Roberts THE DOG LISTENER: Learning the Language of your Best Friend (2002)
Two big wooden buildings were just frames, lurching backwards at an angle.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Cheer up the house by framing some, or getting them blown up on large canvases.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
It's impossible to look at yourself in a pair of new frames and not see another character.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It is selling a loss-making producer of timber frames for the building trade and buying a Swedish architectural practice.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
In other languages
frame
British English: frame /freɪm/ NOUN
The frame of a picture or mirror is the part around its edges.
...a photograph of her mother in a silver frame.
American English: frame
Arabic: إِطار
Brazilian Portuguese: moldura
Chinese: 框架
Croatian: okvir
Czech: rám
Danish: ramme
Dutch: lijst
European Spanish: marco
Finnish: runko
French: cadre photo
German: Struktur
Greek: πλαίσιο
Italian: cornice
Japanese: 骨組み
Korean: 틀
Norwegian: ramme
Polish: rama
European Portuguese: moldura
Romanian: ramă
Russian: рама
Latin American Spanish: marco
Swedish: ram
Thai: โครงสร้าง
Turkish: çerçeve
Ukrainian: рама
Vietnamese: khung
British English: frame VERB
When a picture or photograph is framed, it is put in a frame.
The picture is now ready to be mounted and framed.
American English: frame
Brazilian Portuguese: enquadrar
Chinese: 配框给 图画或照片
European Spanish: enmarcar
French: encadrer
German: rahmen
Italian: incorniciare
Japanese: 額縁に入れる
Korean: >액자에 끼우다그림이나 사진을
European Portuguese: enquadrar
Latin American Spanish: enmarcar
All related terms of 'frame'
A-frame
(of a house) constructed with an A-shaped elevation
frame saw
a saw with a thin blade held in a specially shaped frame
frame-up
A frame-up is a situation where someone pretends that an innocent person has committed a crime by deliberately lying or inventing evidence .
sub-frame
a discreet or hidden part of the structure of a vehicle such as car, aircraft, etc which protects and carries components such as the engine, suspension , etc
clip frame
a picture frame that is held together by clips attaching the glass to the backing
cold frame
A cold frame is a wooden frame with a glass top in which you grow small plants to protect them from cold weather .
frame house
a house that has a timber framework and cladding
frame line
a black horizontal bar appearing between successive picture images
frame tent
a tent consisting of fabric stretched over a frame
half frame
a photograph taking up half the normal area of a frame on a particular film , taken esp on 35- millimetre film
rigid frame
a bent having absolutely rigid connections at the knees
still frame
continuous display of a single frame of a film or of a single picture from a television signal
stop-frame
of or relating to animated films involving models , puppets , etc, in which each frame is photographed individually
time frame
The time frame of an event is the length of time during which it happens or develops.
drawing frame
a machine used to attenuate and straighten fibers by having them pass, in sliver form, through a series of double rollers , each pair of which revolves at a slightly greater speed than the preceding pair and reduces the number of strands originally fed into the machine to one extended fibrous strand doubled or redoubled in length
frame aerial
an aerial that consists of one or more coils of wire wound on a frame . Maximum radiation or reception is in the plane of the loop , the minimum occurring at right angles to it
freeze-frame
A freeze-frame from a film is an individual picture from it, produced by stopping the film or video tape at that point.
garden frame
an unheated wooden frame with a glass top, used to protect young plants from the cold
Oxford frame
a type of picture frame in which the sides of the frame cross each other and project outwards
picture frame
a frame for a photo , painting etc
portal frame
a frame , usually of steel , consisting of two uprights and a cross beam at the top: the simplest structural unit in a framed building or a doorway
vacuum frame
a machine from which the air is extracted in order to obtain close contact between the surfaces of two materials, e. g . the film and plate during platemaking
walking frame
a person who walks
window frame
A window frame is a frame around the edges of a window, which glass is fixed into.
Zimmer frame
A Zimmer frame or a Zimmer is a frame that old or ill people sometimes use to help them walk .
climbing frame
A climbing frame is a structure that has been made for children to climb and play on. It consists of metal or wooden bars joined together .
in the frame
If someone is in the frame for something such as a job or position, they are being considered for it.
printing frame
a device in a darkroom for holding negatives against photographic paper for printing
sampling frame
an open structure that gives shape and support to something, such as the transverse stiffening ribs of a ship's hull or an aircraft's fuselage or the skeletal beams and uprights of a building
spinning frame
any of various spinning machines with many spindles
stocking frame
a type of knitting machine
embroidery frame
a frame in the form of a pair of (usually circular ) rings , designed to keep the fabric taut while an embroiderer works on it
frame of mind
Your frame of mind is the mood that you are in, which causes you to have a particular attitude to something.
frame of reference
A frame of reference is a particular set of beliefs or ideas on which you base your judgment of things.
span saw
a saw with a thin blade held in a specially shaped frame
freeze-frame button
a control button on a remote control device, used to stop a moving image to view it as a still
inertial reference frame
a frame of reference within which bodies are not accelerated unless acted upon by external forces
headframe
the structure supporting machinery at the entrance to a mine
tenter
a frame on which cloth is stretched during the manufacturing process in order that it may retain its shape while drying
in the frame for something
if you are in the frame for promotion or success , you are very likely to get a promotion or to be successful
loop aerial
an aerial that consists of one or more coils of wire wound on a frame . Maximum radiation or reception is in the plane of the loop , the minimum occurring at right angles to it