/ freɪm; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
BORDER
1.
[ C ] a strong border or structure of wood, metal, etc. that holds a picture, door, piece of glass, etc. in position :
a picture frame
aluminium window frames
STRUCTURE
2.
[ C ] the supporting structure of a piece of furniture, a building, a vehicle, etc. that gives it its shape :
the frame of an aircraft / a car / a bicycle
—picture at bicycle
—see also climbing frame
OF GLASSES
3.
[ C , usually pl. ] a structure of plastic or metal that holds the lenses in a pair of glasses :
gold-rimmed frames
—picture at glass
PERSON / ANIMAL'S BODY
4.
[ C , usually sing. ] the form or structure of a person or animal's body :
to have a small / slender / large frame
GENERAL IDEAS
5.
[ sing. ] the general ideas or structure that form the background to sth :
In this course we hope to look at literature in the frame of its social and historical context.
—see also time frame
OF FILM / MOVIE
6.
[ C ] one of the single photographs that a film or video is made of
OF PICTURE STORY
7.
[ C ] a single picture in a comic strip
COMPUTING
8.
[ C ] one of the separate areas on an Internet page that you can scroll through (= read by using the mouse to move the text up or down)
IN GARDEN
9.
[ C ] = cold frame
IN SNOOKER / BOWLING
10.
[ C ] a single section of play in the game of snooker , etc., or in bowling
•
IDIOMS
- be in / out of the frame
■ verb
[ vn ]
MAKE BORDER
1.
[ usually passive ] to put or make a frame or border around sth :
The photograph had been framed.
Her blonde hair framed her face.
He stood there, head back, framed against the blue sky.
PRODUCE FALSE EVIDENCE
2.
[ usually passive ] frame sb (for sth) to produce false evidence against an innocent person so that people think he or she is guilty
SYN fit up :
He says he was framed.
DEVELOP PLAN / SYSTEM
3.
( formal ) to create and develop sth such as a plan, a system or a set of rules
EXPRESS STH
4.
to express sth in a particular way :
You'll have to be careful how you frame the question.
► framed adjective (often in compounds):
a framed photograph
a timber-framed house (= with a supporting structure of wood)
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English framian be useful , of Germanic origin and related to from . The general sense in Middle English , make ready for use , probably led to senses 3 and 4 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 ).