cornice

/ˈkɔːnɪs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkɔːrnɪs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkȯr-nəs How to pronounce cornice (audio) -nish How to pronounce cornice (audio)/ (ame, mw)

cornice — noun

  • cornicesingular
  • cornicesplural

1. a shaped band or outward ledge placed near a room's ceiling or on a building's u

1.名詞C1
釋義

a shaped band or outward ledge placed near a room's ceiling or on a building's upper edge to make that boundary look finished and decorative

例句

Renata repaired the cracked cornice above the dining room windows.

common location: cornice above interior windows

Workers cleaned the stone cornice before repainting the museum entrance.

collocation: stone cornice

同義詞
  • molding

    broader term for shaped decorative trim; cornice usually refers to the uppermost section

  • coving

    usually means a curved feature where a wall meets the ceiling, not any projecting top edge

  • trim

    general word for finishing pieces, often less architectural and less specific

文法句型

a cornice above + window/door

stone cornice

plaster cornice

用法筆記

Usually names the decorative edge itself, whether it runs inside a room at ceiling level or along the upper outside part of a building. For a box that hides curtain hardware above a window, sense 2 is more likely.

常見錯誤

The balcony railing needed a new cornice.
The ceiling edge needed a new cornice.
💡A cornice is an upper finishing strip or projecting top edge, not a guard rail.

2. a stiff decorative cover fixed above a window to hide the rail, rod, or fittings

2.名詞C2
釋義

a stiff decorative cover fixed above a window to hide the rail, rod, or fittings used to hang curtains

例句

Min ordered a wooden cornice to hide the curtain track.

purpose: hide the curtain track

The designer covered the window cornice with blue fabric.

collocation: window cornice

同義詞
  • cornice board

    a fuller term for the same rigid window-top covering

  • valance

    can also hang above a window, but it is often soft fabric rather than a stiff board

文法句型

a cornice above + curtains

window cornice

fabric-covered cornice

用法筆記

Common in interior-decoration writing and product descriptions. Unlike sense 1, this sense is tied specifically to a window treatment and its hidden fittings.

常見錯誤

She chose a cornice to block the morning sun.
She chose blackout curtains to block the morning sun.
💡A cornice hides the curtain hardware; it does not itself stop much light.

cornice — verb