A frame or framework is a structural skeleton, which supports the other components of the object. It is used in this basic sense in art (picture frame), construction (building frame), and mechanical engineering (bicycle frame, for instance).
The word has many extended, metaphorical meanings in various fields:
- One of the still images composing a film or video. See Frame (film).
- A complete image, or the set of all picture elements representing it, in video display.
- A transmitted packet, in telecommunications; see also Frame (telecommunications).
- Semantic frames in cognitive science.
- The frame problem in artificial intelligence.
- A frame tale in literature.
- A frame of reference in physics.
- In mathematics, a frame is an abstract concept on a manifold, generalising frame of reference to a basis for the tangent bundle varying from point to point. See vierbein for an orthonormal frame.
- The tag in HTML, see HTML_tag#Frames
- Each player's turn in bowling games.
- The connection between lead and follow in partner dancing. See Frame (dance)
- In law, to frame someone is to make it look as if they committed a crime when they in fact did not commit said crime.