Word of the Day: Mantel

mantel (also spelled mantle, primarily in American English)

man-tel / măn-tl

noun

1. the decorative facing around a fireplace; also called a mantelpiece

A broad window with leaded panes looked out upon the moor; and over the mantel was another portrait of the stiff, plain little girl who seemed to stare at her more curiously than ever.

From “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett, 1849 – 1924

2. the shelf above a fireplace

There were also perhaps a dozen candles about, two in brass candlesticks upon the mantel and several in sconces, so that the room was brilliantly illuminated.

From “The Time Machine” by H. G. Wells, 1866 – 1946