mantel

American  

[man-tl] / ˈmæn tl /

Or mantle

noun

• mantels
  plural

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.

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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

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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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• mantels
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mantel

1480–90; earlier mantell mantelet; variant of mantle

Explanation

A mantel is a shelf that sticks out just above a fireplace. People often put trophies and pictures on their mantel. If your house has a fireplace, chances are you also have a mantel. A mantel is a handy place to display anything you like looking at or want to show off to visitors. Trophies and prizes are common things to find on a mantel, as are pictures of family and friends. If you want people to see something, put it on the mantel.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mantel mantels

He has added gold trim to the crown molding, smothered the walls with gold-framed artworks and gold-painted embellishments, placed inch-thick gold coasters on the desk, and lined up gold urns on the mantel.

From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026

It’s for the mantel, for our boys,’” Song revealed.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 2, 2026

In the once-bare space above the bedroom’s mantel, which holds a Louis XVI-style clock, gold-framed pictures and miniatures of family members and friends hang.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 7, 2026

Picture frames atop the family’s mantel at the home of William Harris, 63, which burned in the Eaton Fire in Altadena.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2025

He loved to be in that house, admiring the craftsmanship, the great care put into the most eccentric details and flourishes—a mural over the mantel, one-of-a-kind ironwork on every balcony.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

The company’s clocks could once be found on Navy battleships during World War II, and adorned mantels, walls and desks at the White House for presidents ranging from Dwight Eisenhower to Joe Biden.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2025

In his travels, Tocqueville saw pieces of the famous Plymouth Rock all over: used as doorstops, as paperweights, set in the centers of mantels like the mandibles of sainted martyrs.

From Slate ● Nov. 28, 2024

Custom-milled lumber is handy for various projects such as: table tops, mantels, shelving, wall cladding and furniture building.

From Seattle Times ● May 5, 2023

That’s because behind the weird, haphazardly constructed interior walls of the SRO and the mutilations of the religious group, were delicately carved wooden mantels and fire surrounds made from marble and onyx.

From New York Times ● Dec. 29, 2021

More than the hand-painted blue tiles in the kitchen or the mantels laden with potted tulips, this workshop was a testimony to Hoede’s wealth.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

Related Words

• mantelpiece