valance

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English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Middle English valance, valans, valaunce, valence, valons. Origin uncertain. Probably from Anglo-Norman valaunce, valence, from valer (go down, let down), aphetic form of Old French avaler (to descend, go down).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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valance (plural valances)

  1. A short curtain that usually hangs along the top edge of a window.
    • 1969, David G. Irwin, The Visual Arts, Taste and Criticism, page 27:
      Even the mantelpiece is adorned with a totally unfunctional tasselled valance rather like an altar frontal.
  2. A decorative framework used to conceal the curtain mechanism and so on at the top of a window.
  3. A short, decorative edging of cloth that hangs from a bed, from beneath the mattress to the floor, used to conceal the box spring or space under the bed and prevent dust from accumulating there.
  4. A short, decorative edging of cloth that conceals the legs of a couch, sofa, etc.
    • 1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 145:
      Mortally insulted, Jasper went under the couch, where he remained with only his nose showing beneath the valance, emitting little world-weary groans at intervals, and refusing to come out for cake.
  5. (automotive) A low-hanging auto body panel, below a front or rear bumper, whose purpose is aerodynamic and decorative but not structural (often valance panel).
  6. The drooping edging of the lid of a trunk, which covers the joint when the lid is closed.

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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