Meaning of 'mantle'

noun

a sleeveless garment like a cloak but shorter

Synonyms: cape

noun

hanging cloth used as a blind (especially for a window)

Synonyms: curtain drape drapery pall

noun

shelf that projects from wall above fireplace

Synonyms: mantel mantelpiece mantlepiece chimneypiece

noun

(zoology) a protective layer of epidermis in mollusks or brachiopods that secretes a substance forming the shell

Synonyms: pallium

noun

the cloak as a symbol of authority

Example: "place the mantle of authority on younger shoulders"

noun

anything that covers

Synonyms: blanket

noun

the layer of the earth between the crust and the core

verb

cover like a mantle

Example: "The ivy mantles the building"

verb

spread over a surface, like a mantle