mantle
noun · verb
Simple meaning
Anything that covers or conceals something else.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
mantuhlSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈmæntəl
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
figuratively
Anything that covers or conceals something else; a cloak.
figuratively
A figurative garment representing authority or status, capable of affording protection.
A gauzy fabric impregnated with metal nitrates, used in some kinds of gas and oil lamps and lanterns, which forms a rigid but fragile mesh of metal oxides when heated during initial use and then produces white light from the heat of the flame below it. (So called because it is hung above the lamp's flame like a mantel.)
A piece of clothing somewhat like an open robe or cloak, especially that worn by Orthodox bishops.
ornithology
The back of a bird together with the folded wings.
malacology
The body wall of a mollusc, from which the shell is secreted.
verb
intransitive
To spread like a mantle (especially of blood in the face and cheeks when a person flushes).
transitive
To cover or conceal (something); to cloak; to disguise.
intransitive
To become covered or concealed.
To climb over or onto something.
Cover like a mantle
Spread over a surface, like a mantle
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Anything that covers or conceals something else; a cloak.
Used this way, mantle is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use mantle
- “Place the mantle of authority on younger shoulders.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Common black-striped reddish-brown ground squirrel of western North America.
The layer of unmyelinated neurons (the grey matter) forming the cortex of the cerebrum.
The upper part of the mantle.
The deeper part of the mantle.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.