Meaning & use

mantle

noun·Academic

The thick layer of hot, dense rock between Earth's crust and core; also a role or responsibility passed to someone.

See it in a sentence

Molten rock from the mantle can rise and erupt through volcanoes.

She accepted the mantle of leadership after her mentor retired.

A note on using this word

The geological and figurative senses are both common; a mantel, spelled with an e, is the shelf above a fireplace, a different word entirely.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. noun

A loose sleeveless cloak, or figuratively, a covering layer of something.

A thick mantle of snow covered the fields by early morning.

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