alcove

[ al-kohv ]

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.

alcove

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of alcove¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of alcove¹

C17: from French alcôve, from Spanish alcoba, from Arabic al-qubbah the vault, arch

Example Sentences

They ducked into an alcove alongside the building, trying to block the young students’ view of the carnage.

From Washington Post

Favorite with the yacht set, the oldest coastal town founded by Croats, Sibernik, is a delightful spot built in an alcove where river meets sea.

From The Daily Beast

The room had floor-to-ceiling windows, and Rothko agreed to paint a triptych to fill an alcove on the room’s west wall, and two more paintings to face them from the east.

From The Daily Beast

In the alcove beyond the check-in desk, Sanchez and Diaz installed their gurney along a vacant stretch of beige hallway.

From ProPublica

As well as embedding objects in them, some had small, undecorated alcoves just big enough for a single person to crouch within.

From Nautilus

Portraits of the Rolling Stones and other easily recognizable stars populate the small, alcove-like room straight ahead.

From The Daily Beast

Gwynne walked about the large old-fashioned room with its bow-window, and alcove for the bed.

From Project Gutenberg

In a special alcove was a large number of priceless Fourteenth and Sixteenth Century editions.

From Project Gutenberg

In the shadow of an alcove seat Maxwell stood with a small black envelope in his hand.

From Project Gutenberg

Cheap, but pretty, curtains hung before the windows and about the alcove where the bed was.

From Project Gutenberg

They stepped aside into an alcove set with card-tables, and Susannah gazed away from her companion and down the crowded ballroom.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• compartment
• cubicle