mantelshelf
English
Etymology
mantel + shelf
Noun
mantelshelf (plural mantelshelves)
- A shelf above a fireplace.
- 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 3, in The China Governess:
- Sepia Delft tiles surrounded the fireplace, their crudely drawn Biblical scenes in faded cyclamen blending with the pinkish pine, while above them, instead of a mantelshelf, there was an archway high enough to form a balcony with slender balusters and a tapestry-hung wall behind.
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- (climbing) A maneuver to surmount a ledge, involving pushing down on the ledge to bring up the body.
Synonyms
- (climbing maneuver): mantel
Related terms
- mantelpiece