corbel

[kawr-buh l] /ˈkɔr bəl/

noun

any bracket, especially one of brick or stone, usually of slight extent.

a short horizontal timber supporting a girder.

verb (used with object), corbeled, corbeling or (especially British) corbelled, corbelling.

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

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

Examples from the web for corbel

The horizontality of the building's facade is emphasized with belt courses and a corbel table beneath the cornice line.
The first story is separated from the second by a pronounced corbel table.
A corbel table is a projecting moulded string course supported by a range of corbels.

British Dictionary definitions for corbel

/ˈkɔːbəl/

noun

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

verb -bels, -belling, -belled (US) -bels, -beling, -beled

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

Word Origin

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

Word Origin and History for corbel

mid-14c., from Old French corbel, diminutive of corb "raven," from Latin corvus (see raven); so called from its beaked shape.