mantle

noun man·tle \ ˈman-tᵊl \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

Definition of mantle

1 a : a loose sleeveless garment worn over other clothes : cloak

b : a figurative cloak symbolizing preeminence or authority

accepted the mantle of leadership

2 a : something that covers, enfolds, or envelops (see envelop 1)

The ground was covered with a mantle of leaves.

b (1) : a fold or lobe or pair of lobes of the body wall of a mollusk or brachiopod that in shell-bearing forms lines the shell and bears shell-secreting glands

(2) : the soft external body wall that lines the test or shell of a tunicate or barnacle (see barnacle 2)

c : the outer wall and casing of a blast furnace above the hearth (see hearth 1c); broadly : an insulated support or casing in which something is heated

3 : the upper back of a bird

4 : a lacy hood or sheath of some refractory (see ¹refractory 3) material that gives light by incandescence when placed over a flame

5 a : regolith

b : the part of the interior of a terrestrial (see terrestrial 3) planet and especially the earth that lies beneath the crust and above the central core

6 : mantel

See mantle defined for English-language learners

See mantle defined for kids

Examples of mantle in a Sentence

She accepted the mantle of leadership.
a long black velvet mantle

Recent Examples of mantle from the Web

And many across the country have taken up the mantle to push the conversation forward in state legislatures.

— NBC News, "High teacher turnover helps fuel educators' march on statehouses," 8 Apr. 2018
But a final hole bogey after a dreadful tee shot blunted his challenge and left Fowler to take up the mantle with four birdies in his last six holes, coming up just short in his bid for an elusive first major.

— paul gittings, CNN, "Masters 2018: Patrick Reed keeps his nerve to claim the Green Jacket," 8 Apr. 2018
Both claim the mantle of reformer in vastly different ways.

— michael smolens, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Contrasting styles, messages give voters clear choice in DA race," 8 Apr. 2018
With the industries' diverging trajectories, weed may be poised to take the mantle as the larger industry.

— the washington post, OregonLive.com, "Cannabis sales forecast suggests it may surpass soda by 2030," 4 Apr. 2018
Svenson took up the Black Hood mantle as a way to do penance for taking an innocent man's life.

— refinery29.com, "That Huge Riverdale Mystery Isn't Even Close To Over," 26 Mar. 2018
Five years after he was dumped by Emily Maynard on national television, race car driver Arie Luyendyk Jr. has emerged from cryogenic sleep to assume his rightful mantle as The Bachelor.

— molly fitzpatrick, Bon Appetit, "All of the Tragically Untouched Food on 'The Bachelor' This Season," 6 Mar. 2018
The traditional Babylon double Medici collar of gold Alencon lace, trimmed with rhinestones and embellished with large teardrop crystals framed the queen's face, and her mantle matched that of Sargon LXXIII.

— sue strachan, NOLA.com, "Knights of Babylon illustrate "The Gifts of the Gods to New Orleans" at parade and ball," 26 Feb. 2018
But with Tom Brady poised to add another Super Bowl MVP to his Hall-of-Fame mantle, another former Michigan Wolverine, Brandon Graham, played the role of spoiler with one of the most timely plays in Super Bowl history.

— dave birkett, Detroit Free Press, "Super Bowl LII: Philadelphia Eagles take down New England Patriots, 41-33," 4 Feb. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of mantle

Middle English mantel, from Anglo-French, from Latin mantellum

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

mantle Synonyms

Synonyms

blanket, cloak, cope, cover, cover-up, covering, curtain, hood, mask, pall, robe, shroud, veil, wraps;

Related Words

blind, concealer, screen, shield;

fig leaf, Trojan horse;

camouflage, disguise, facade (also façade), face, mask, veneer;

gloss, varnish;

mantle

verb

Definition of mantle

mantled; mantling play \ˈmant-liŋ, ˈman-tᵊl-iŋ\

transitive verb

: to cover with or as if with a mantle : cloak

the encroaching jungle growth that mantled the building
—Sanka Knox

intransitive verb

1 : to become covered with a coating

2 : to spread over a surface

3 : blush

her rich face mantling with emotion
—Benjamin Disraeli

See mantle defined for English-language learners

Examples of mantle in a Sentence

early-morning fog mantled the fields along the river

Origin and Etymology of mantle

see ¹mantle

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

mantle Synonyms

Mantle

biographical name Man·tle \ ˈman-tᵊl \

Definition of Mantle

Mickey (Charles) 1931–1995 American baseball player

MANTLE Defined for English Language Learners

mantle

noun

Definition of mantle for English Language Learners

: a loose piece of clothing without sleeves that was worn over other clothes especially in the past
: something that covers or surrounds something else
: the position of someone who has responsibility or authority