From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpelmetpel‧met /ˈpelmɪt/ noun [countable] British English DHHa narrow piece of wood or cloth above a window that hides the rod that the curtains hang on SYN valance American English
Examples from the Corpus
pelmet• Try to avoid angular prints on a pelmet with a highly curved edge, as the designs could conflict.• The stiffened cover is fitted to a pelmet board - like a three-sided shelf - to give it support.• If you do not want to use a pelmet, curtain rails and poles can also provide great visual variety.• These sections should be twice the depth of a bottom pelmet, on top of which all the pleats lie.• A deep pelmet in a room with a low ceiling can have a heavy effect, increasing the problem.• Even a valance or pelmet will be given an extra highlight when edged with an attractive fringing or braid.• Soft pelmets, in the same material as the curtains are lined, gathered or ruched.• There are no curtains to soften its edges and the pelmet is propped up by the bookcase.Origin pelmet (1900-2000) French palmette “palm-leaf-shaped decoration (at the top of a window)” 