cornice Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a decorative framework to conceal curtain fixtures at the top of a window casing
    valance board; pelmet; valance.
  2. noun a molding at the corner between the ceiling and the top of a wall
  3. noun the topmost projecting part of an entablature
  4. verb furnish with a cornice

WordNet

Cor"nice noun
Etymology
F. corniche, It. cornice, LL. coronix, cornix, fr. L. coronis a curved line, a flourish with the pen at the end of a book or chapter, Gr. akin to L. corona crown. sEE Crown, and cf. Coronis.
Definitions
  1. (Arch.) Any horizontal, molded or otherwise decorated projection which crowns or finishes the part to which it is affixed; as, the cornice of an order, pedestal, door, window, or house. Gwilt.

Webster 1913