mantelpiece
Britishnoun
-
Also called: mantel shelf. chimneypiece. a shelf above a fireplace often forming part of the mantel
-
another word for mantel
Explanation
A mantelpiece is a frame around a fireplace, or a shelf above it. When families celebrate Christmas, they often hang stockings from the mantelpiece on Christmas Eve. If you have a fireplace, you probably have a mantelpiece, or a mantel. While some mantelpieces are elaborate and decorative, made of heavy stone like granite or marble, and sometimes extending far up the wall above the fireplace. Others are very simple, made of a plain wooden shelf. The original, medieval mantelpieces were hoods that caught smoke from the fire.
Vocabulary lists containing mantelpiece
Coraline
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
My Brother Sam is Dead
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
A Lesson Before Dying
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The density of the ornament is matched only by its cheapness, with chalices lined up on the mantelpiece like the decorator raided the trophy case of a middle-school gymnasium.
From Slate • Aug. 5, 2025
Fishburn said he would put the trophy on his "grandmother Christine's mantelpiece" and called the experience "definitely the best thing I've ever done".
From BBC • Apr. 12, 2025
This product is about 4 inches long, with a string for hanging from your rearview mirror or mantelpiece.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 1, 2023
Pictures of Kody, his older brother and their grandfather — all in their Navy uniforms — rest on the mantelpiece next to the folded flag from Kody’s funeral.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 30, 2023
The clock on the mantelpiece struck ten o’clock.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
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.
