door-frame

The carpenter carefully measures the wooden door-frame.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • The frame that surrounds a door: "door-frame" refers to the structural framework that encloses and supports a door, typically consisting of two vertical side jambs and a horizontal top lintel or header, into which the door is fitted.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The carpenter carefully measured the door-frame before installing the new door. (The frame that holds the door.)
  • She painted the door-frame white to match the trim in the hallway. (The surrounding structure of the door.)

Advanced Usage

• "to stand in the door-frame": to occupy the space of the doorway, often for emphasis or blocking.

  • He stood in the door-frame, blocking the entrance. (He positioned himself within the structure of the door opening.)

• "to repair a door-frame": to fix the structural frame of a door.

  • The old house required extensive work to repair the rotting door-frame. (To mend the frame that supports the door.)

Variants and Related Words

• Doorjamb (n): one of the vertical pieces of a door-frame.

  • The doorjamb was damaged when the door was slammed shut. (The side part of the frame.)

• Doorframe (n): an alternative spelling of "door-frame", equally common.

  • Check the doorframe for cracks before painting. (Same meaning as door-frame.)

Synonyms

• Doorway frame: the frame around a door opening.
• Door casing: the decorative trim around a door-frame.

Related Idioms

• "to be on the door-frame": not a standard idiom, but used literally to describe something attached to or hanging on the frame.
  • The wreath hung on the door-frame during the holidays. (The wreath was placed on the frame of the door.)

Note

The word "door-frame" is a compound noun. It should not be confused with "doorframe" as a single word; both are accepted, but "door-frame" with a hyphen is common in formal writing. The frame itself does not include the door, only the structure that surrounds it.