Chassis

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈt͡ʃæsi/

Definitions

1. A fundamental framework that serves as a base for a vehicle's body while also housing its key mechanical components
2. A structural framework that provides support for a vehicle's external body and contains essential parts for its operation
3. A supportive framework that underlies the outer body of a vehicle and contains critical mechanical systems for functionality

Etymology: The English word came straight from French "châssis," a term for a frame or framework, and the French word in turn descends from "châsse," meaning a case or reliquary box. That earlier word traces back to the Latin "capsa," which simply meant a box or case. So the modern sense of a car's supporting frame is a long way from a container: the idea of a structure that holds something in place carried over from the box to the frame. The chain of borrowings is what makes the word interesting. Latin "capsa" gave French "châsse," a word once used for a container for sacred relics, and from that came the diminutive-like "châssis," which by the French usage meant a framed structure, such as a window frame or a mounting for a picture. English speakers took the word over in that sense, and it is no coincidence that the same "frame" idea still governs its use today, whether for a bicycle, a computer case, or the underpinning of a bus.

Synonyms: frame, structure