ˈmæntl n. & v. --n. 1 a
loose sleeveless
cloak,
esp. of a
woman. 2 a
covering (a mantle of snow). 3 a
spiritual influence or
authority (see 2 Kings 2:13). 4 a
fragile lacelike
tube fixed
round a gas-jet to
give an
incandescent light. 5 an
outer fold of
skin enclosing a mollusc's
viscera. 6 a bird's
back, scapulars,
and wing-coverts, esp. if of a
distinctive colour. 7
the region between the
crust and the
core of the
earth. --v. 1 tr.
clothe in or as if in a mantle;
cover,
conceal,
envelop. 2 intr. a (of the blood)
suffuse the cheeks. b (of the face)
glow with a
blush. 3 intr. (of a liquid)
become covered with a
coating or
scum. [ME f. OF f. L mantellum cloak]