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# mantelpiece

noun (a mantelpiece, mantelpieces; also «mantel», «mantelshelf»)

«mantelpiece» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A mantelpiece is the shelf above a fireplace, often with ornaments, clocks, cards or photos on it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mantelpiece/#m1)
2. The frame around a fireplace. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mantelpiece/#m2)

### In the lessons

In everyday life and stories it is a cosy home detail: birthday cards, Christmas stockings and family photos often sit on the mantelpiece. In detective stories, a clue is often found "on the mantelpiece". Phrases: «on the mantelpiece», «above the mantelpiece».

### Examples

- Grandma keeps our school photos on the mantelpiece. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mantelpiece/#x1)
- The clock on the mantelpiece struck six. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mantelpiece/#x2)
- We hung our Christmas stockings from the mantelpiece. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mantelpiece/#x3)
- The birthday cards were lined up along the mantelpiece. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mantelpiece/#x4)
- The detective found a key hidden behind a vase on the mantelpiece. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mantelpiece/#x5)
- A painting hung above the mantelpiece. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mantelpiece/#x6)
- It revelled in its liberty, and presently flew up on to the mantelpiece and screamed away to its heart's content. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mantelpiece/#x7)

### Note

Countable noun, one word. Spelling: mantEL (not mantle). American English often says «mantel». Safety: don't put things that can burn, or hang stockings, too close to a lit fire.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «mantelpiece» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mantelpiece/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«mantelpiece» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/mantelpiece.html) on Mova free.