wireframe

See also: wire-frame and wire frame

English

Wireframe representations

Alternative forms

• wire frame, wire-frame

Etymology

From wire +‎ frame. The figurative use is extended from the literal (pre-computing and non-computing) concept of a wire frame, a frame made of wire.

Noun

wireframe (plural wireframes)

1. (computer graphics) A visual model of an electronic representation of a three-dimensional object as defined geometrically by line segments.

   Hypernym: model

   Coordinate term: solid model

   • 2001, Philip D. Rufe, Fundamentals of Manufacturing‎^[1], →ISBN, page 153:

     A wireframe is transparent in nature, requiring some skill and expertise in interpreting the model.

2. (web design) A basic visual guide used to suggest the layout of fundamental elements in a web interface.

   Hypernym: mock-up

   • 2003, Andrew Chak, Submit Now: Designing Persuasive Web Sites‎^[2], →ISBN, page 306:

     Wireframes should be simple sketches that you can quickly revise and not get attached to.

Translations

model of three-dimensional object

• Estonian: traatmudel
• Finnish: rautalankamalli (fi)
• German: Drahtmodell n
• Greek: νηματικό μοντέλο (el) n (nimatikó montélo)
• Korean: 와이어프레임 (waieopeureim)

See also

• CAD/CAM
• explicit modeling

Further reading

• Wire-frame model on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Website wireframe on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Verb

wireframe (third-person singular simple present wireframes, present participle wireframing, simple past and past participle wireframed)

1. (computer graphics) To generate a wireframe representation
   • 2003, William Gibson, Idoru‎^[3], page 35:

     She'd barely wireframed it, here, and there was no there there, no interiority.

2. (web design) To prepare a wireframe for a website
   • 2006, Daniel M. Brown, Communicating Design‎^[4], →ISBN, page 290:

     There are a few lists you should make before you start wireframing.

Derived terms

• wireframed
• wireframer