cubbyhole

American  

[kuhb-ee-hohl] / ˈkʌb iˌhoʊl /

noun

1. pigeonhole.

2. a small, snug place.

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cubbyhole British  

/ ˈkʌbɪˌhəʊl /

noun

1. a small enclosed space or room

2. any small compartment, such as a pigeonhole

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Etymology

Origin of cubbyhole

First recorded in 1835–45; cubby + hole

Example Sentences

Previosly voted Wales' favourite word, Cwtch means hug or cuddle - however it's second meaning is a cubbyhole or cupboard; a small space in which to store things safely.

From BBC • Jul. 18, 2024

“I don’t begrudge anyone retiring,” longtime regular Daniel Eiben said Sept. 15, poking his head into Yoshimura’s cluttered cubbyhole of an office on the store’s penultimate day in business.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 5, 2023

She was one of just two women on Brzezinski’s staff and occupied a windowless cubbyhole in the West Wing, but Dr. Albright relished her proximity to power.

From Washington Post • Mar. 23, 2022

Inside a cubbyhole in a losing clubhouse, the black cowboy hat rested beside a pair of auburn boots.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2019

Instead, every grave has a hidden compartment at the bottom—usually a smaller cubbyhole carved into the side of the pit—where the coffin slides in.

From "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" by William Kamkwamba