/ ˈkɔːnɪs; NAmE ˈkɔːrnɪs/ noun
( architecture ) a decorative border around the top of the walls in a room or on the outside walls of a building
—picture at alcove
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 16th cent.: from French corniche , from Italian cornice , perhaps from Latin cornix crow (compare with corbel ), but influenced by Greek korōnis coping stone.