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mantel

American  
[man-tl] / ˈmæn tl /
Or mantle

noun

  1. a construction framing the opening of a fireplace and usually covering part of the chimney breast in a more or less decorative manner.

  2. Also called mantelshelf.  a shelf above a fireplace opening.

mantel British  
/ ˈmæntəl /

noun

  1. a wooden or stone frame around the opening of a fireplace, together with its decorative facing

  2. Also called: mantel shelf.  a shelf above this frame

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does mantel mean? A mantel is the frame around the opening of a fireplace.Mantel also commonly refers to a shelf above the fireplace (which may or may not be attached to the other kind of mantel). This shelf can also be called a mantelshelf.Both senses of mantel can also be spelled mantle. (The word mantle has many other meanings.)Synonyms for mantel include mantlepiece, mantelboard, and chimneypiece.Example: This mantel will need to be replaced since the wood is rotting, but the fireplace itself looks solid.

Etymology

Origin of mantel

1480–90; earlier mantell mantelet; variant of mantle

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.