chimneypiece

8.2

A shelf above a fireplace that holds pictures or small objects

noun
/ˈʧɪmniˌpis/

: repisa

Now she can have a clock on a marble chimneypiece.

Examples

I held my own court for poet friends by the Adam chimneypiece, beneath the beautiful portrait of his mother, Inez, Lady FitzGerald.

Academic text (2015)
There are more than 500,000 stitches in a "chimneypiece" embroidered by Eunice Bourne, daughter of a well-to-do eighteenth-century Cape Cod merchant.

Academic text (2002)
In the living room, the ornate clock sits proudly on the chimneypiece, surrounded by family photographs.
She decorated the chimneypiece with candles and flowers for the festive season.
The antique chimneypiece added a touch of elegance to the cozy cottage.

Synonyms

mantel

vschimneypiece

26 4.4

A shelf above a fireplace that holds decorations

is less often ornately decorated

mantle

vschimneypiece

14 5.6

A shelf above a fireplace for showing clocks or photos

is more simply a shelf rather than a framing feature

mantelpiece

vschimneypiece

9 4.9

A shelf above a fireplace where people put clocks or photos

is usually more often described as decorated and projecting

mantlepiece

vschimneypiece

1 4.8

A shelf above a fireplace where people put clocks or photos

is more about decoration than primarily displaying objects

mantel shelf

vschimneypiece

3.9

A shelf above a fireplace that holds photos or candles

is usually thought of for decoration more than display

Surface Forms

chimneypiece singular

chimneypieces plural

Morphology

chimneypiece = chimney + piece (semi-transparent) = chimney + piece

The components 'chimney' and 'piece' are clear, but the specialized sense 'mantel or shelf above a fireplace' is a conventionalized compound sense that may not be fully predictable.

Etymology

Chimneypiece comes from the simple words chimney and piece, the 'piece' or 'shelf' that belongs to the chimney. So a chimneypiece is the shelf or decorated surround above a fireplace.