mantle

[ man-tl ]

/ ˈmæn tl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR mantle ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a loose, sleeveless cloak or cape.

something that covers, envelops, or conceals: the mantle of darkness.

Geology. the portion of the earth, about 1800 miles (2900 km) thick, between the crust and the core.Compare core¹(def 10), crust(def 6).

Zoology. a single or paired outgrowth of the body wall that lines the inner surface of the valves of the shell in mollusks and brachiopods.

a chemically prepared, incombustible network hood for a gas jet, kerosene wick, etc., that, when the jet or wick is lighted, becomes incandescent and gives off a brilliant light.

Ornithology. the back, scapular, and inner wing plumage, especially when of the same color and distinct from other plumage.

mantel.

Metallurgy. a continuous beam set on a ring of columns and supporting the upper brickwork of a blast furnace in such a way that the brickwork of the hearth and bosh may be readily replaced.

verb (used with object), man·tled, man·tling.

to cover with or as if with a mantle; envelop; conceal.

verb (used without object), man·tled, man·tling.

to spread or cover a surface, as a blush over the face.

to flush; blush.

(of a hawk) to spread out one wing and then the other over the corresponding outstretched leg.

to be or become covered with a coating, as a liquid; foam: The champagne mantled in the glass.

Nearby words

mantinea, mantis, mantis shrimp, mantispid, mantissa, mantle, mantle plume, mantle radiotherapy, mantle rock, mantlepiece, mantlet

Origin of mantle

before 900; Middle English mantel, Old English mæntel < Latin mantellum

SYNONYMS FOR mantle

2 veil, cover, blanket, screen, cloak.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR mantle ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

un·man·tled, adjective

Can be confused

mantel mantle

Definition for mantle (2 of 3)

Mantle

[ man-tl ]

/ ˈmæn tl /

noun

Mickey (Charles),1931–95, U.S. baseball player.

(Robert) Burns,1873–1948, U.S. journalist.

Definition for mantle (3 of 3)

mantel

or man·tle

[ man-tl ]

/ ˈmæn tl /

noun

a construction framing the opening of a fireplace and usually covering part of the chimney breast in a more or less decorative manner.

Also called mantelshelf. a shelf above a fireplace opening.

Origin of mantel

1480–90; earlier mantell mantelet; variant of mantle

Also called man·tel·piece

[man-tl-pees] /ˈmæn tlˌpis/, mantlepiece.

Can be confused

mantel mantle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for mantle

We arrived to the din of a party in full swing: a band, multiple kegs of beer, dancing, foosball, and mantle diving.
I Was Gang Raped at a UVA Frat 30 Years Ago, and No One Did Anything|Liz Seccuro|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Having tonally redefined rap, he was ready to claim the mantle of one of the greatest musical pioneers of all time.
Future Makes Us Rethink Everything We Thought We Knew About Rap Artists|Luke Hopping|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Question those taking on the mantle of victimhood and you are immediately cast as some kind of aggressive, unfeeling oppressor.
What the U-VA Rape Case Tells Us About a Victim Culture Gone Mad|Lizzie Crocker|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Even at the latter stages Simon and Ryan took over the mantle and it became a little dark.
Nigel Lythgoe on How to Save Reality TV, ‘On the Town,’ and ‘Brokeback Ballroom’|Kevin Fallon|October 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The house version of chicken fried steak is, in fact, pork-fried steak, veiled in panko breadcrumbs under a mantle of gravy.
Spaghetti for Breakfast?! Not So Crazy at This Idaho Farm Café|Jane & Michael Stern|August 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mefres rose and drew forth from under his mantle a gold medal.
The Pharaoh and the Priest|Alexander Glovatski
She saw the breeze move his hair; she saw the ruddy reflection from his mantle on his pallid and almost transparent face.
Let us follow Him|Henryk Sienkiewicz
Of fur of costly otter / his mantle was complete, With other skins embroidered / from head unto the feet.
The Nibelungenlied|Unknown
She is ever at work clothing everything with her mantle of green.
An American Four-In-Hand in Britain|Andrew Carnegie
But as John was an honest fellow, he was troubled at the thought that the Seagull would think he had stolen her mantle and purse.
The Green Fairy Book|Various

British Dictionary definitions for mantle (1 of 2)

mantle

/ (ˈmæntəl) /

noun

archaic a loose wrap or cloak

such a garment regarded as a symbol of someone's power or authorityhe assumed his father's mantle

anything that covers completely or envelopsa mantle of snow

a small dome-shaped or cylindrical mesh impregnated with cerium or thorium nitrates, used to increase illumination in a gas or oil lamp

Also called: pallium zoology

a protective layer of epidermis in molluscs that secretes a substance forming the shell
a similar structure in brachiopods

ornithol the feathers of the folded wings and back, esp when these are of a different colour from the remaining feathers

geology the part of the earth between the crust and the core, accounting for more than 82% of the earth's volume (but only 68% of its mass) and thought to be composed largely of peridotiteSee also asthenosphere

a less common spelling of mantel

anatomy another word for pallium (def. 3)

a clay mould formed around a wax model which is subsequently melted out

verb

(tr) to envelop or supply with a mantle

to spread over or become spread overthe trees were mantled with snow

(tr) (of the face, cheeks) to become suffused with blood; flush

(intr) falconry (of a hawk or falcon) to spread the wings and tail over food

Word Origin for mantle

C13: via Old French from Latin mantellum, diminutive of mantum cloak

British Dictionary definitions for mantle (2 of 2)

mantel

less commonly mantle

/ (ˈmæntəl) /

noun

a wooden or stone frame around the opening of a fireplace, together with its decorative facing

Also called: mantel shelf a shelf above this frame

Word Origin for mantel

C15: from French, variant of mantle

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for mantle

mantle

[ măn′tl ]

n.

A covering layer of tissue.

pallium

Science definitions for mantle

mantle

[ măn′tl ]

The layer of the Earth between the crust and the core. It is about 2,900 km (1,798 mi) thick and consists mainly of magnesium-iron silicate minerals, such as olivine and pyroxene. It has an upper, partially molten part, which is about 660 km (409 mi) thick, and a lower, solid part. The upper mantle is the source of magma and volcanic lava.

The layer of soft tissue that covers the body of a clam, oyster, or other mollusk and secretes the material that forms the shell.

Culture definitions for mantle

mantle

The region of the interior of the Earth between the core (on its inner surface) and the crust (on its outer).

Note

The mantle is more than two thousand miles thick and accounts for more than three-quarters of the volume of the Earth.