mantle
n 1: the cloak as a symbol of authority; "place the mantle of
authority on younger shoulders"
2: the layer of the earth between the crust and the core
3: anything that covers; "there was a blanket of snow" [syn: {blanket}]
4: (zoology) a protective layer of epidermis in mollusks or
brachiopods that secretes a substance forming the shell
[syn: {pallium}]
5: projects from wall above fireplace; "in England they call a
mantel a chimneypiece" [syn: {mantel}, {mantelpiece}, {mantlepiece},
{chimneypiece}]
6: hanging cloth used as a blind [syn: {curtain}, {drape}, {drapery},
{pall}]
7: a sleeveless garment like cloak but shorter [syn: {cape}]
v 1: spread over a surface, like a mantle
2: cover like a mantle: "The ivy mantles the building"