Definition

1. Noun:
   • The supporting frame of a vehicle: The chassis is the underlying structural framework of a motor vehicle, typically a steel frame supported on springs, which holds the body, engine, and other major components.
   • The frame for electronic components: In electronics, a chassis is a metal frame or case that holds and supports the circuit boards and other parts of a device.
   • (Archaic/Figurative) The human body: Used as an alternative term for the physical structure or frame of a human being.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Vehicle Frame):
  • The truck's chassis was reinforced for off-road use.
  • After the accident, the car's body was damaged but the chassis remained intact.
• Noun (Electronics Frame):
  • The technician mounted the new power supply into the computer's chassis.
  • All the circuit boards are secured to the metal chassis.
• Noun (Human Body):
  • He exercised daily to maintain a sturdy chassis. (This usage is now rare and somewhat literary.)

Advanced Usage

• "Rolling chassis": A vehicle chassis that includes the engine, wheels, and transmission but not the body.
  • The company sells the car as a rolling chassis for custom bodywork.

Variants and Related Words

• Châssis (French origin): The original French word from which "chassis" is derived, also relating to a frame or framework.
• Frame (noun): A general term for a rigid structure that supports something.
• Undercarriage (noun): The supporting framework underneath a vehicle, often used synonymously with chassis in some contexts.

Synonyms

• Framework: The basic structure underlying a system.
• Skeleton: The supporting frame or structure of something.
• Body: When referring to the human form in the archaic sense.

Related Phrases

• Chassis number / Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): A unique code assigned to a vehicle, often stamped on its chassis.
  • The chassis number is required for vehicle registration.

Related Idioms

• "The chassis is willing but the engine is weak": A playful adaptation of the idiom "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak," humorously applied to an old car.
  • I'd love to drive cross-country, but in this old car, the chassis is willing but the engine is weak.

Noun

1. the skeleton of a motor vehicle consisting of a steel frame supported on springs that holds the body and motor
2. a metal mounting for the circuit components of an electronic device
3. alternative names for the body of a human being
   • Leonardo studied the human body
   • he has a strong physique
   • the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak