noun
Mantel
MAN-tuhl
noun
1
The shelf above a fireplace.
"She lined up family photos along the mantel."
verb
1
(climbing) To get over a ledge by pressing down on it with the hands and pushing the body up.
"He mantled onto the ledge and paused to catch his breath."
How to Use Mantel
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe shelf built above a fireplace, or, in climbing, the move of pushing yourself up and over a ledge.
Common mistake
Not to be confused with "mantle," which refers to a cloak, a covering layer, or the layer of the Earth beneath the crust.
Easily confused with
Word Forms
manteled past tense, mantelled past tense, Mantels plural, mantels plural, mantels singular
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She lined up family photos along the _____.
Etymology
A spelling variant of "mantle," now used specifically for the fireplace shelf.