Fran ‧ ken ‧ stein /ˈfræŋkənˌstaɪn, ˈfræŋkɪnˌstaɪn/ BrE AmE
a novel by Mary Shelley which was ↑ publish ed in 1818 and tells the story of a scientist called Frankenstein who makes a creature by joining together bits of dead bodies and then brings it to life by passing an electric current through its body. The creature is gentle at first, but later becomes violent and attacks its maker. People sometimes mistakenly call the creature Frankenstein, instead of the scientist who made it. The story is very popular and has been made into many films.