alcove
Americannoun
-
a recess or small room adjacent to or opening out of a room.
a dining alcove.
-
a recess in a room for a bed, bookcases, or the like.
-
any recessed space, as a bower in a garden.
noun
-
a recess or niche in the wall of a room, as for a bed, books, etc
-
any recessed usually vaulted area, as in a garden wall
-
any covered or secluded spot, such as a summerhouse
Etymology
Origin of alcove
1670–80; < French alcôve < Spanish alcoba < Arabic al-qubbah the dome
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Throughout those months, he got to know the guy who frequented his alcove, the one Ed had warned him about.
From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026
An alcove devoted to gay rights displays an early version of the rainbow flag, campaign and protest buttons, and a ceiling fragment from the Stonewall Inn, where a 1969 uprising launched the gay liberation movement.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025
They also added an outdoor dining area, a birdbath and an alcove with a bench, all situated in the shade of fragrant natives.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 19, 2025
Nicholas James Reilly, 34, created the “Taxi Driver” alcove.
From New York Times • Jun. 18, 2024
In the night he was wakened by a light, and he saw that Gandalf had come and was pacing to and fro in the room beyond the curtain of the alcove.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
