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The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/20210509205945/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mantel

mantel

noun

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man·tel | \ ˈman-tᵊl

Definition of mantel

1a : a beam, stone, or arch serving as a lintel to support the masonry above a fireplace

b : the finish around a fireplace

2 : a shelf above a fireplace

Mantle vs. Mantel Example Sentences Learn More about mantel

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Mantle vs. Mantel

Keeping mantel and mantle straight is relatively simple.

Mantel in modern English largely does one job: it refers to the shelf above a fireplace. You can remember it by thinking of the "el" in both mantel and shelf.

Mantle on the other hand, does many jobs, including a number that are technical or scientific. Its most common uses are to refer to a literal cloak, mostly of the kind worn in days of yore ("she drew her mantle tighter"), and to a figurative cloak symbolizing authority or importance ("taking on the mantle of the museum's directorship"). It also refers to a general covering in literary uses like "wet earth covered in a mantle of leaves" or "a past shrouded in a mantle of secrecy." And it's also the term for the middle layer of the Earth between the crust and the inner core.

There is, however, a catch to these distinctions: mantle is sometimes used (especially in American English) to refer to the shelf above a fireplace as well—that is, as a synonym of mantel.

This isn't terribly surprising, given the histories of the words. They both derive from the Latin word mantellum, which refers both to a cloak and to a beam or stone supporting the masonry above a fireplace. The words came into use in English a couple centuries apart, but were for a time in the past nothing more than spelling variants.

While it's certainly simpler to use mantle in all cases, mantel is significantly more common as the choice for the shelf, which means it's the safer choice in those cases.

Examples of mantel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In the Oval Office, Biden has awarded prime real estate—right above the mantel—to a portrait of F.D.R. — Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, "Biden Inherits F.D.R.’s Supreme Court Problem," 18 Apr. 2021 The gas fireplace, framed by stone, has a white mantel and built-ins. — BostonGlobe.com, "Home of the Week: Young over-55 town home in Scituate cozies up to ocean view," 19 Mar. 2021 Crown moldings and a new herringbone oak floor added to the feeling of restoration, along with the custom Arabascato-marble mantel for the wood-burning fireplace. — Wendy Goodman, Curbed, "How This 1856 Chelsea Parlor-Floor Apartment Got Its Glamour Back," 15 Mar. 2021 In the more casual family room, the fireplace has an unusual mantel featuring a collection of ceremonial maces. — Katherine Clarke, WSJ, "In Houston, a Tuscan-Style Villa Designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects Asks $34.5 Million," 10 Mar. 2021 The open kitchen and dining room has bar seating and an original fireplace mantel framed with vintage orange and blue tiles. — Katherine Clarke, WSJ, "Jimmy Fallon’s Playful New York Penthouse Lists for $15 Million," 4 Mar. 2021 That’s because Woolley, author of the first books on household management and cookery published in English, didn’t just provide recipes for eel pie and hot chocolate wine alongside tips on seasonally decorating your mantel with mosses and mushrooms. — Olivia Campbell, Smithsonian Magazine, "Part of Being a Domestic Goddess in 17th Century Europe Was Making Medicines," 1 Mar. 2021 Matthews sourced this mantel along with other elegant accents from a nearby renovation, then outfitted it with a heater to warm the marble room. — Hadley Mendelsohn, House Beautiful, "This Designer's 130-Year-Old Farmhouse Was Cut Into Pieces and Moved to a New City," 19 Feb. 2021 Statement-making accents such as a fireplace mantel and gilt chandelier came from other homes in the area by way of Facebook Marketplace. — Hadley Mendelsohn, House Beautiful, "This Designer's 130-Year-Old Farmhouse Was Cut Into Pieces and Moved to a New City," 19 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mantel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.