Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 7 clavie, 7, 9 clavy, 9 clavey, 7– clavel. [a. OF. clavel, now claveau, keystone of an arch, wedge-shaped lintel of a window, door, or the like; = Pr. clavel, Cat. clavell, It. chiavello:—L. *clāvellus dim. of clāvus nail, peg, clinching instrument.]
1. The lintel over a fire-place; esp. a beam of wood so used, the mantel.
1602. Carew, Cornwall (1723), 138 a. The hewed stones of the windowes, dowres, and clavels, pluct out to serve private buildings.
1611. Coryat, Crudities, 303. The fairest chimney for clauy and jeames that euer I saw.
1753. Borlase, in Phil. Trans., XLVIII. 91. The lightning had left a mark quite cross the clavel of the kitchen-chimney.
1847–78. Halliwell, Clavel, a mantel-piece. West. Called also … clavy.
1888. Elworthy, W. Somerset Word-bk., s.v., Would you like to have a arch a-turned or a clavel? Ibid. The Holmen Clavel Inn.
2. Comb., as clavel (clavy-) -board, -piece, -tack, = mantelpiece.
1847–78. Halliwell, Clavel … called also … clavy-piece, Clavel-tack is, I believe, the shelf over the mantel-piece.
1862. Barnes, Rhymes in Dorset Dial., I. 136. Just above the clavy-bwoard Wer father’s spurs, an’ gun, an’ sword.
