# valance

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈvæləns/ · frequency rank #56,512

## Definitions
1. A short curtain that usually hangs along the top edge of a window.
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.
5. 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.

## Etymology
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”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/valance