Definition of "corbel" [cor•bel]

• A bracket of stone, wood, brick, or other building material, projecting from the face of a wall and generally used to support a cornice or arch. (noun)
• To provide with or support by a corbel or corbels. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "A corbel is a stone bracket that projects from a wall or corner, either to support a beam or for decoration."
• "The building dates back to the 16th century, but the object - known as a corbel - is believed to be from the late-13th to mid-14th century."
• "On these rested painted wooden sun-filtering shutters attached to a concrete corbel, which is in turn connected to the ring-beam."