Definition of "overmantel" [overmantel]

• A decorative structure or an ornamental panel situated above a mantelpiece. (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 lots include two 19th century Chinese barrel-shaped garden seats (£1,500-£2,000); an ornate giltwood overmantel mirror from the late 19th century (£1,000-£1,500); a pair of French faux-crocodile-skin binoculars (£500-£800); and a late 18th century English stained and painted model of a 62-gun ship (yours for £2,000-£4,000)."
• "Reaching the front door, she opened it and shut it again hard, using the music of the bells to cover her stealthy return through the maze of Edwardian dining chairs, assorted cabinets, and overmantel mirrors."
• "They were named Skinner, Mr. and Mrs. Skinner, and Mr. Bensington interviewed them in a small room with hermetically sealed windows, a spotted overmantel looking-glass, and some ailing calceolarias."