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alcove

alcove

22 5.3
A small space set back in a room for a bed or chair
  • noun
  • /ˈælˌkoʊv/
translation icon : rincón
  • He read his book in a cozy alcove filled with soft cushions and warm blankets.
  • a small alcove

And these alcoves are in there and inside of each alcove, perfectly fitted snite and tight and snug.

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Examples

  • The artist set up her easel in the sunny alcove of the living room.

  • Earl was at a table in a glass-enclosed alcove, nursing a cup of coffee.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • So the old studio, including storage room and my little office alcove fit in just this space.

  • It's the small alcove outside the breakfast room.

  • I was sitting in the small alcove just outside my leader's office.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • David opens the door to the alcove, then walks back to Peter.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • And there was an alcove with the Virgin Mary holding her infant son.

  • Yes, that's right, I want a table in the alcove.

  • Duke returns to the kitchen, and Joan moves into an entertainment alcove off the living room.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Several smaller rooms, or alcoves, connect to the main room through a series of joining doors.

    Fiction book (1992)

Synonyms

nook
vsalcove
40 3.0

A small sheltered corner where you can sit or read

is a recessed room section used for beds seating or built shelves
cubby
vsalcove
  • US
9 4.8

A small space or compartment where you keep things like a backpack

is for furniture or seating inside a larger room rather than tiny storage
recess
vsalcove
9 4.3

A small hollow space set back into a wall or rock

is a room section used for beds seating or shelves rather than any hollow
cubbyhole
vsalcove
5 5.3

A small enclosed space used for storing things, doing small tasks, or as a quiet nook

is larger and designed as a room recess rather than a small storage cubicle
aumbry
vsalcove
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A small cupboard set into a wall in a church or old house for storing things

is a general recessed room area used for furniture rather than a cupboard
poche
vsalcove
  • Specialized
9.9

A small space set aside to hold or hide something

is a visible recessed room area meant for furniture and open use

How Big

bay
114 1.0
room
1.0
alcove
22 5.3
niche
11 6.7

Surface Forms

alcove singular
alcoves plural

Etymology

The word alcove comes from Arabic al- 'the' plus a word for 'vault' or 'dome', so it originally named a covered, set-back space. Think of a 'cove', a small sheltered bay, and you have an image of an alcove: a little tucked-away space inside a room for a bed or shelves.