chassis
Americannoun
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chassis
plural
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Automotive. the frame, wheels, and machinery of a motor vehicle, on which the body is supported.
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Ordnance. the frame or railway on which a gun carriage moves backward and forward.
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the main landing gear of an aircraft; that portion of the landing gear that supports an aircraft.
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Radio and Television. a frame for mounting the circuit components of a radio or television set.
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a construction forming the sides, top, and bottom of a cabinet, showcase, or the like.
noun
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the steel frame, wheels, engine, and mechanical parts of a motor vehicle, to which the body is attached
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electronics a mounting for the circuit components of an electrical or electronic device, such as a radio or television
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the landing gear of an aircraft
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obsolete a wooden framework for a window, screen, etc
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the frame on which a cannon carriage moves backwards and forwards
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slang the body of a person, esp a woman
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of chassis
1655–65; < French châssis frame; akin to chase 2
Explanation
A chassis is the frame of a car. If you warp the chassis of your mom’s car when you make a Dukes of Hazzard jump, she's going to be mad. Pronounce chassis CHASS-ee (singular) and CHASS-eez (plural). Chassis comes from the Latin capsa, meaning box. In the 1600s, chassis referred to window frames, and starting with early automobile production, acquired its dominant meaning, i.e., the box that is the frame for the car. It also means other kinds of frame/boxes too — if you have a radio or a stereo, the outside box is called a chassis.
Vocabulary lists containing chassis
The Lightning Thief
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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
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National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ferrari started the season with the best chassis in terms of cornering performance, but their engine has fallen short of those produced by Mercedes and Red Bull.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
The Cadillac and Navigator adopt the traditional body-on-frame approach also used in pickup trucks, where the cabin is bolted onto a separate chassis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
Ferrari entered this season hoping to be title contenders following the introduction of new chassis and engine rules in F1.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
The Turbo Electric brings a pretty classy chassis to the party: Porsche’s Active Suspension Management and Active Ride.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
It flipped the chassis, bouncing it across the road and ripped the engine apart as if it were no stronger than a spiderweb.
From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
