noun
cornice
KOR-nis/ˈkɔːrnɪs/
A projecting ledge along an upper edge.
An ornate cornice runs along the top of the brick building.
Etymology
Italian cornice already named ornamental wall molding—the projecting trim that crowns a surface. A connection with a “curved line” or written flourish is possible, but the deeper ancestry is uncertain.
In context
The upper band of the entablature is called the "cornice", which is generally ornately decorated on its lower edge. The cornice retains the shape of the beams that would once have supported the wooden roof
More examples
- The plaster cornice hides the joint between the wall and ceiling.
- Workers repair the crumbling cornices above the storefronts.
- Wind builds a cornice of snow along the mountain ridge.
Forms
cornice · cornices