A cornice is a strip of plaster, wood, or stone which goes along the top of a wall or building.
cornice in British English
(ˈkɔːnɪs)
noun
1. architecture
a.
the top projecting mouldings of an entablature
b.
a continuous horizontal projecting course or moulding at the top of a wall, building, etc
2.
an overhanging ledge of snow formed by the wind on the edge of a mountain ridge, cliff, or corrie
verb
3. (transitive) architecture
to furnish or decorate with or as if with a cornice
Word origin
C16: from Old French, from Italian, perhaps from Latin cornix crow, but influenced also by Latin corōnis decorative flourish used by scribes, from Greek korōnis, from korōnē curved object, crown
cornice in American English
(ˈkɔrnɪs)
noun
1.
a horizontal molding projecting along the top of a wall, building, etc.
2.
the top part of an entablature
3.
a projecting, decorative strip above a window, designed to keep a curtain rod from showing
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈcorniced or ˈcornicing
4.
to top as with a cornice
Word origin
Fr < It < L coronis, curved line, flourish in writing < Gr korōnis, curved object: see crown
Examples of 'cornice' in a sentence
cornice
`The cornice above the penthouse is about the same size and angle as this piece of rock.
Mark Burnell CHAMELEON (2002)
She loved the gracefully high ceiling, with its white-painted cornice, the heavy brocade curtains and comfortable chairs.