 serve as a support or
guide for the design, implementation and maintenance of an integrated system. [General Dictionaries] 
n., A basic conceptual structure of rules, policies, procedures, tools and mechanisms intended to serve as a support or
 guide for the design, implementation and maintenance of an integrated system. [General Dictionaries] 
n., In object-oriented systems, a set of classes that embodies an abstract design for solutions to a number of related problems. [Computer and Information Sciences]