mantel
Americannoun
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a construction framing the opening of a fireplace and usually covering part of the chimney breast in a more or less decorative manner.
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Also called mantelshelf. a shelf above a fireplace opening.
noun
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a wooden or stone frame around the opening of a fireplace, together with its decorative facing
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Also called: mantel shelf. a shelf above this frame
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
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.
Vocabulary lists containing mantel
Learning Down The House: Parts of Your Home
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Chains
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Commonly Confused Words, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Hilary Mantel, from what I've heard about her, was mischievous and she knew what she was doing and she was being provocative," Wood says.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
Both Mantel and Oyler contend that the homelessness crisis stems from a housing shortage and that new housing developments will be the most effective measure to get people off the streets.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Mantel, 33, has worked on a handful of political campaigns, according to his campaign website, including Carolyn Ramsay’s unsuccessful campaign for the 4th District council seat in 2015.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
The Hilary Mantel Prize for Fiction is being launched on the third anniversary of her death after her private correspondence revealed she had mentored aspiring writers throughout her life.
From BBC • Sep. 22, 2025
Mrs. Mantel was a quick-witted woman, if she was nothing else commendable.
From Ruth Fielding In the Red Cross Doing Her Best For Uncle Sam by Emerson, Alice B.
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.
