mantelpiece

noun

man·​tel·​piece ˈman-tᵊl-ˌpēs How to pronounce mantelpiece (audio)
1
: a mantel with its side elements
2
: mantel sense 2

Examples of mantelpiece in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Saft, not bothering to remove his sneakers, leaped onto a chair to place an ornate gold mirror over the mantelpiece. — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025 This gadget will make a delightful addition to their mantelpiece. — Michael Calore, Wired News, 25 Nov. 2025 Advertisement On the mantelpiece sit the alarm clocks meant to wake Gerry—but his friends were not the ones who placed them there. — Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 15 Jan. 2026 The multicolor bubble lamps sit on a long bed of faux holly and berries, which look elegant as a centerpiece or mantelpiece and harken back to childhood Christmases. — Gabriela Izquierdo, Southern Living, 10 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mantelpiece

Word History

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mantelpiece was in 1660

Rhymes for mantelpiece

See All Rhymes for mantelpiece

Browse Nearby Words

mantellone
mantelpiece
mantelshelf
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mantelpiece.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mantelpiece. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

mantelpiece

noun
man·​tel·​piece -ˌpēs How to pronounce mantelpiece (audio)
1
: a mantel with its side elements
2
: the shelf of a mantel

More from Merriam-Webster on mantelpiece

Nglish: Translation of mantelpiece for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mantelpiece

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All