English

Noun

mantelshelf ‎(plural mantelshelves)

1. 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.

2. (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