frame

Frame is a term with multiple meanings across disciplines. In general use, a frame is a rigid or semi-rigid structure that surrounds, supports, or encloses something, such as the frame of a building, a bicycle, or a picture frame. Frames help define shape, provide strength, and establish spatial relationships between components.

In art and display, a frame surrounds a work of art or a photograph, serving as a border and often contributing to presentation and protection. Window and door frames provide openings and sealants.

In media and computing, a frame is a single image in a sequence of moving pictures; frames per second measure motion smoothness. A data frame is a tabular data structure used in data analysis, notably in R and Python's pandas. An iframe embeds another document within a web page.

In physical and mechanical contexts, the frame refers to the underlying skeleton of a vehicle or machine that bears loads and maintains alignment, separate from moving parts.

In physics, a frame of reference is a coordinate system and viewpoint from which measurements are made. In linguistics, frame semantics describes how language encodes knowledge about typical scenes and events.

In games and sports such as billiards, a frame is a single unit of play, with matches consisting of several frames.