corbel

noun cor·bel \ ˈkȯr-bəl \

|Updated on: 21 Aug 2018

Definition of corbel

: an architectural member that projects from within a wall and supports a weight; especially : one that is stepped upward and outward from a vertical surface

Recent Examples of corbel from the Web

Buy Photo From the backyard pool, Melanie and Curtis Richins can admire their home’s stucco-and-stone 1910 Craftsman style with its peaked roofs, brackets, and corbels.

— sally a. downey, Philly.com, "Old combines with new in 1910 Craftsman house in Wynnewood," 3 July 2018
Outside there was decorative bargeboard over windows and doors, decorative cornice and corbel trim.

— joanne kempinger demski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "A major renovation improved 1872 Walker's Point home but kept the Gothic Revival charm," 3 May 2018
The 660-square-foot master bedroom has his-and-hers closets and baths, and a marble fireplace with cherubs sculpted in the mantel corbels.

— janet eastman, OregonLive.com, "$2 million surge in 2 years: Wiederhorn's foreclosed mansion sells for $4 million (photos)," 26 Feb. 2018
But beyond the Greek Revival columns, Victorian corbels and wrought-iron gates, how have New Orleans streetscapes changed over the centuries?

— chris granger, NOLA.com, "Swipe the photos and see modern New Orleans compared with rare 19th-century photos," 22 Dec. 2017
Custom details also include unique moldings and decorative accents such as corbels and decorative legs to make the cabinets look like furniture.

— john inc., Houston Chronicle, "GHBA Remodelers Council: Is custom cabinetry right for you?," 26 Oct. 2017
Marble from a house that was razed to make way for the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art was repurposed as quoin (corner) work, arches and corbels.

— cynthia billhartz gregorian, kansascity.com, "Camelot’s tale: How Weatherby Lake’s castle, now for sale, came to be," 28 Apr. 2017
Added exterior design accents include European Schötten Fenster tilt-turn wood windows, chimney caps, cornerstones, extra-wide brick sills, and brick accents surrounding the base around the home and its corbels.

— brittanny havard, The Denver Post, "LIV Sotheby’s International Realty showcases English Tudor-style home in Washington Park designed by famed Denver architect," 2 June 2017

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

Illustration of corbel

Origin and Etymology of corbel

Middle English, "raven, architectural corbel," borrowed from Middle French (Anglo-French, "crow, raven"), going back to Old French, from corp "raven" (going back to Latin corvus) + -el, diminutive suffix (going back to Latin -ellus) — more at ¹cornice

Note: Old French corp, corb for expected *corf (cf. cerf "deer," from Latin cervus) is difficult to explain; it has been speculated that the form was imported by Roman settlers from Etruria or another part of Italy where Latin -rv- regularly yields -rb- (cf. Tuscan corbo "raven" beside corvo; see Pierre Fouché, Phonétique historique du français, vol. 3, Paris, 1966, p. 798).

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First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined above

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