val ‧ ance BrE AmE , valence /ˈvæləns/ noun [countable]
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Origin: Perhaps from Valence town in southeastern France ]
1 . a narrow piece of cloth that hangs from the edge of a shelf or from the frame of a bed to the floor
2 . especially American English a narrow piece of cloth above a window, covering the ↑ rail the curtains hang on SYN pelmet British English