Definition of "mantel" []

• An ornamental facing around a fireplace. Also called regionally mantelpiece. (noun)
• The protruding shelf over a fireplace. Also called mantelpiece, mantelshelf; also called regionally fireboard. (noun)

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.

• "The bookshelves are packed with stuffed animals and books, and the mantel is lined with photographs of the children who live here."
• "Mantel: The fireplace mantel is a very prominent location for displaying your village, as long as your collection is not too extensive and would force the overcrowding of your favorite pieces in to what can be a narrow and overall restricted space."
• "The border of the Virgin's mantel is carved to resemble brocade and painted gold, while the inside has been painted red."