chimney breast

American  

noun

1. a part of a chimney or fireplace that projects out from the wall, usually inside the building.

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chimney breast British  

noun

1. the wall or walls that surround the base of a chimney or fireplace

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Etymology

Origin of chimney breast

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

She said: "We found it hidden in the back room in the right hand side of the chimney breast."

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2022

The color was introduced in the living room, on the shelves alongside the chimney breast, and was continued into the hall, on the baseboards and the door frames.

From The New Yorker • Mar. 11, 2019

Opposite the cedar in the entrance hall, a quartzite wall rises to the second level, where it becomes the living area’s fireplace surround and chimney breast.

From Architectural Digest • May 5, 2015

The high square room is plain around the lower part, save for a chimney breast covered in plaster flames.

From New York Times • Oct. 10, 2014

The interior of a chimney breast behind the stove should always be filled in solid with concrete or brickwork.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 "Brescia" to "Bulgaria" by Various