Meaning & use
a pelmet
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Meanings
nouncountableBritish
A narrow strip of wood or cloth fixed above a window to hide the top of the curtains and the rod.
Grammar: Countable: you can say a pelmet or two pelmets.
Patterns
- a pelmet above a window
- fit a pelmet
- a wooden pelmet
She chose a wooden pelmet to match the window frame.
The pelmet hides the rail, so the curtains look neater.
We had a pelmet made in the same fabric as the curtains.
nouncountableBritish
A similar decorative strip along the top of a stage or shop window.
Grammar: Countable; used mainly in British English for decorative fittings.
Patterns
- a pelmet over the stage
- a shop pelmet
A red pelmet ran along the top of the little stage.
The shop's pelmet carried the store name in gold letters.
Word forms
| plural | pelmets |
|---|
Common combinations
- a wooden pelmet
- They fitted a wooden pelmet above the bay window.
- a fabric pelmet
- A fabric pelmet softens the look of the room.
- fit a pelmet
- It is not hard to fit a pelmet yourself.
- a pelmet and curtains
- The set includes a pelmet and curtains.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- pelmets noun
- The plural form, used for more than one pelmet.
Commonly confused: a pelmet or valance? a pelmet or helmet?
a pelmet vs valance
In British English a valance is usually the hanging cloth around the base of a bed, while a pelmet goes above a window. In American English, valance can mean a pelmet.
a pelmet vs helmet
Helmet sounds similar but means the hard hat that protects your head.
Practice
Choose the best word: We fitted a ______ above the window to hide the curtain rail.
Choose one answer.
A pelmet is the British word for the strip above a window that hides the curtain rail. 'Valance' is the American word, 'helmet' is protective headgear, and 'palette' is a painter's board.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a pelmet”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.