English dictionary

frame Meaning & Definition

Q: What is the past tense of frame?

The past tense of frame is framed. The present participle is framing.

/fɹeɪ̯m/

What Does Frame Mean?

Frame is used as a verb meaning To fit, as for a specific end or purpose; make suitable or comfortable; adapt; adjust. It is also used to mean To construct by fitting together or uniting various parts; fabricate by union of constituent parts. As a noun, it means The structural elements of a building or other constructed object. As a noun, it means The structure of a person's body; the human body.

Frame in Brief

Part of speech	verb, noun
Pronunciation	/fɹeɪ̯m/
Synonyms	cast, soma and framework
Plural	frames
Verb forms	frames, framing, framed

Frame Definition (Verb)

To fit, as for a specific end or purpose; make suitable or comfortable; adapt; adjust.
To construct by fitting together or uniting various parts; fabricate by union of constituent parts.
To bring or put into form or order; adjust the parts or elements of; compose; contrive; plan; devise.
To put together the structural elements of (a constructed object such as a building).
Once we finish framing the house, we'll hang tin on the roof.
To place (a picture such as a painting or photograph) inside a decorative border.
To position visually within a fixed boundary.
The director frames the fishing scene very well.
To construct in words so as to establish a context for understanding or interpretation.
How would you frame your accomplishments?
Conspire to falsely incriminate an innocent person.
The gun had obviously been placed in her car in an effort to frame her.
To wash ore with the aid of a frame.
To move.
To proceed; to go.
To hit (the ball) with the frame of the racquet rather than the strings (normally a mishit).
To strengthen; refresh; support.
To execute; perform.
All have sworn him an oath that they should frame his will on earth.
To cause; to bring about; to produce.
To profit; avail.
To fit; accord.
To succeed in doing or trying to do something; manage.

Frame as a Noun

The structural elements of a building or other constructed object.
Now that the frame is complete, we can start on the walls.
Anything composed of parts fitted and united together; a fabric; a structure.
A human body or the structure thereof; the size, shape, sturdiness etc. of a person's body as described in a certain way; one's build.
His starved flesh hung loosely on his once imposing frame.
A rigid, generally rectangular mounting for paper, canvas or other flexible material.
The painting was housed in a beautifully carved frame.
A piece of photographic film containing an image.
A film projector shows many frames in a single second.
A context for understanding or interpretation.
In this frame, it's easy to ask the question that the investigators missed.
A conspiracy to falsely incriminate an innocent person.
A complete game of snooker, from break-off until all the balls (or as many as necessary to win) have been potted.
An independent chunk of data sent over a network.
A set of balls whose results are added together for scoring purposes. Usually two balls, but only one ball in the case of a strike, and three balls in the case of a strike or a spare in the last frame of a game.
The complete set of pins to be knocked down in their starting configuration.
A movable structure used for the cultivation or the sheltering of plants.
a forcing-frame; a cucumber frame
The outer decorated portion of a stamp's image, often repeated on several issues although the inner picture may change.
The outer circle of a cancellation mark.
A division of time on a multimedia timeline, such as 1/30 or 1/60 of a second.
An individually scrollable rectangular region of a web page, forming part of a frameset.
An inning.
Any of certain machines built upon or within framework.
a stocking frame; a lace frame; a spinning frame
Frame of mind; disposition.
to be always in a happy frame
Contrivance; the act of devising or scheming.
A stage or location in a video game.
A way of dividing nucleotide sequences into a set of consecutive triplets.
A form of knowledge representation in artificial intelligence.
A complete lattice in which meets distribute over arbitrary joins.
Clipping of page frame or memory frame.
The carcass of a poultry bird with most of its flesh removed, used for making broth.
a chicken frame

Noun

The structure of a person's body; the human body.
His starved flesh hung loosely on his once imposing frame.
A division of time on a multimedia timeline, such as 1/30th or 1/60th of a second.
An individually scrollable region of a webpage.
A stage or level of a video game.
("reading frame") A way of dividing nucleotide sequences into a set of consecutive triplets.

Verb

To construct by fitting or uniting together various parts; fabricate by union of constituent parts.
Of a constructed object such as a building, to put together the structural elements.
Once we finish framing the house, we'll hang tin on the roof.
Of a picture such as a painting or photograph, to place inside a decorative border.
Conspire to incriminate falsely a presumably innocent person. See frameup.
The gun had obviously been placed in her car in an effort to frame her.

Frame in a Sentence

Once we finish framing the house, we'll hang tin on the roof.

The director frames the fishing scene very well.

Round glasses would frame your face perfectly.

How would you frame your accomplishments?

The way the opposition has framed the argument makes it hard for us to win.

They have framed this sentencing bill as not caring about victims; we have to frame it as preventing government overreach.

The gun had obviously been placed in her car in an effort to frame her.

All have sworn him an oath that they should frame his will on earth.

Now that the frame is complete, we can start on the walls.

His starved flesh hung loosely on his once imposing frame.

The painting was housed in a beautifully carved frame.

A film projector shows many frames in a single second.

In this frame, it's easy to ask the question that the investigators missed.

a forcing-frame; a cucumber frame

a stocking frame; a lace frame; a spinning frame

to be always in a happy frame

a chicken frame

Word Forms & Grammar

frame (third-person singular simple present frames, present participle framing, simple past and past participle framed)

frame (plural frames)

Words That Rhyme With Frame

proclaim dame exclaim shame acclaim aflame flame same name defame game claim declaim lame nickname all the same grameone and the sametimeframe reclaim blame maimfair gameassumed namelay claimgiven name became fame surname disclaim

Origin of Frame

Origin 1: From Middle English framen, fremen, fremmen (“to construct, build, strengthen, refresh, perform, execute, profit, avail”), from Old English framian, fremian, fremman (“to profit, avail, advance”), from Proto-West Germanic *frammjan, from Proto-Germanic *framjaną (“to further, promote, perform”), from Proto-Indo-European *promo- (“front, forward”).

Origin 2: Cognate with Low German framen (“to commit, effect”), Danish fremme (“to promote, further, perform”), Swedish främja (“to promote, encourage, foster”), Icelandic fremja (“to commit”). More at from.

Origin 3: From Middle English frame (“profit, benefit, advantage; a structure composed according to a plan”), from the verb (above) and also from Old Norse frami (“advantage, fame, bravery, efficiency, privilege, honor”); and frame (“a framework or structure of any kind”) which is of uncertain origin. The latter is usually regarded as a derivative of former; however, compare the rare Anglo-Norman and Old French frame, fraine (“frame, framework”), itself of uncertain origin, which might be a borrowing from the English, from the Norse, or even possibly ultimately from Frankish *hramu (“frame”) related to Dutch raam (“window frame”).

Questions People Ask About Frame

Is frame a verb or a noun?

Frame is mainly used as a verb, but it can also be used as a noun.

What is another word for frame?

Close synonyms of frame are cast, soma and framework. See the full list of frame synonyms and antonyms.