alcove

American  

[al-kohv] / ˈæl koʊv /

noun

1. a recess or small room adjacent to or opening out of a room.

   a dining alcove.

2. a recess in a room for a bed, bookcases, or the like.

3. any recessed space, as a bower in a garden.

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alcove British  

/ ˈælkəʊv /

noun

1. a recess or niche in the wall of a room, as for a bed, books, etc

2. any recessed usually vaulted area, as in a garden wall

3. any covered or secluded spot, such as a summerhouse

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Etymology

Origin of alcove

1670–80; < French alcôve < Spanish alcoba < Arabic al-qubbah the dome

Example Sentences

She pulls a few books off the shelves and hands them to Teddy, and then she leads us to an alcove with a rainbow shag rug on the ground and plastic bins on shelves.

From Literature

A piped-in soundtrack simulates urban din, and latticed wood alcoves emulate storefronts.

From The Wall Street Journal

His hand snaked out a second later, and he pulled me behind the biggest statue and into a small hidden alcove.

From Literature

They hid under alcoves, in tiny rooms under the stairs, inside closets— anywhere two small kids could fit and not be noticed.

From Literature

As I reach the stooped archway into the pub, I notice a small door tucked into an alcove.

From Literature

Related Words

• compartment
• cubicle