corbel

[ kawr-buh l ]
/ ˈkɔr bəl /
Architecture

noun

any bracket, especially one of brick or stone, usually of slight extent.
a short horizontal timber supporting a girder.

verb (used with object), cor·beled, cor·bel·ing or (especially British) cor·belled, cor·bel·ling.

to set (bricks, stones, etc.) so as to form a corbel or corbels (usually followed by out).
to support by means of a corbel or corbels.

Origin of corbel

1375–1425; late Middle English < Middle French < Medieval Latin corvellus, equivalent to Latin corv(us) raven1 + -ellus diminutive suffix

Words nearby corbel

coranto, corazón, corban, corbeil, corbeille, corbel, corbel arch, corbel out, corbel table, corbel vault, corbeling

Example sentences from the Web for corbel

British Dictionary definitions for corbel

corbel
/ (ˈkɔːbəl) architect /

noun

Also called: truss a bracket, usually of stone or brick

verb -bels, -belling or -belled or US -bels, -beling or -beled

(tr) to lay (a stone or brick) so that it forms a corbel

Word Origin for corbel

C15: from Old French, literally: a little raven, from Medieval Latin corvellus, from Latin corvus raven