niche

1 of 2

noun

ˈnich

also

ˈnēsh

ˈnish

: a recess in a wall especially for a statue

: something (such as a sheltered or private space) that resembles a recess in a wall

: a place, employment, status, or activity for which a person or thing is best fitted

finally found her niche

: a habitat supplying the factors necessary for the existence of an organism or species

: the ecological role of an organism in a community especially in regard to food consumption

: a specialized market

niche

2 of 2

verb

niched; niching

transitive verb

: to place in or as if in a niche (see niche entry 1)

Did you know?

How do you pronounce niche? Is it \EESH\\ or \ICH\\?

There is a debate about how you are supposed to pronounce niche. There are two common pronunciation variants, both of which are currently considered correct: \EESH\\ (rhymes with sheesh) and \ICH\\ (rhymes with pitch). \ICH\\ is the more common one and the older of the two pronunciations. It is the only pronunciation given for the word in all English dictionaries until the 20th century, when \EESH\\ was first listed as a pronunciation variant in Daniel Jones's English Pronouncing Dictionary (1917). \EESH\\ wasn’t listed as a pronunciation in our dictionaries until our 1961 Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged, and it wasn’t entered into our smaller Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary until 1993. Even then, it was marked in the Collegiate as a pronunciation that was in educated use but not considered acceptable until 2003.

All this is to say that the historical pronunciation has been \ICH\\, and that \EESH\\ is a relative newcomer that came about likely under influence from French pronunciation conventions. At this point in time in the U.S., \ICH\\ is still the more common pronunciation, but \EESH\\ is gaining ground. Our evidence suggests that in British English, \EESH\\ is now the more common pronunciation.

Example Sentences

Noun To succeed in this new world, you have to sell yourself. You go to a brand-name college, not to imbibe the wisdom of its professors, but to make impressions and connections. You pick a niche that can bring attention to yourself and then develop your personal public relations efforts to let the world know who you are.

Alan Wolfe, New York Times Book Review, 7 Jan. 2001 The ivory-billed woodpecker, wan ghost of southern woodlands, may actually be flying forth from its niche in extinction.

Frank Graham, Jr., Audubon, May/June 2000 Creatures in the genus Rickettsia occupy a niche between bacteria and viruses. They carry much of their own cellular equipment and are vulnerable to antibiotics, but like viruses they need to invade living cells in order to grow.

Wayne Biddle, A Field Guide to Germs, 1995 No, a safe and humble backbencher's niche in the Senate was the inheritance of a Julius these days.

Colleen McCullough, The First Man in Rome, 1990 A dozen or so fey young monks in saffron robes and shaven heads wafted from quiet niche to niche begging alms and looking very flesh-bound to my jaded eyes.

Arthur Miller, Timebends, 1987 I found a niche for myself after high school. She finally found her niche as a teacher. the species that fill an environmental niche Verb The most moving of all the museums in Russia, right now, is also the smallest and the most unlikely. Niched with no fuss whatever in what was a communal apartment high in the annex of the former Sheremetyev Palace in St. Petersburg, it is devoted to a great Russian poet, Anna Akhmatova (1889-1966).

John Russell, New York Times Book Review, 1 Jan. 1995 See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Teachers are tasked with finding a student’s niche and empowering it, an ability Saban said must be recognized.

Nick Alvarez | Nalvarez@al.com, al, 14 Sep. 2022 Invocations to the Virgin Mary marked out the days of my childhood in bells; her feastdays gave a rhythm to the year; an eternal ideal of mortal beauty was fixed by the lineaments of her face, which gazed from every wall and niche.

Clair Wills, The New York Review of Books, 7 Sep. 2022 Of course, chocolate advent calendars are always a win, but there are tons of others that are super niche and extra special.

Katarina Avendano, Good Housekeeping, 26 Aug. 2022 Filling that need was Newport Aeronautical’s niche.

WIRED, 19 Aug. 2022 Like everything else in my life, my voice doesn’t fall neatly in one category or niche.

Aysha Imtiaz, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022 Given its martial heritage and vintage styling, the design was until recently the preserve of military replica brands, the J. Peterman Company or niche Japanese labels like The Real McCoy’s.

Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 9 Aug. 2022 The only way to know is to experience what others are offering or selling in your industry or niche.

Ashley Stahl, Forbes, 9 Aug. 2022 What was once a gimmick and niche field has burst out in the political scene – in election races, campaigning, and lobbying.

Kenneth Tran, USA TODAY, 9 July 2022 See More

单词	niching
释义	niche 1 of 2 noun ˈnich also ˈnēsh or ˈnish 1 a : a recess in a wall especially for a statue b : something (such as a sheltered or private space) that resembles a recess in a wall 2 a : a place, employment, status, or activity for which a person or thing is best fitted finally found her niche b : a habitat supplying the factors necessary for the existence of an organism or species c : the ecological role of an organism in a community especially in regard to food consumption d : a specialized market Illustration of niche niche 1a niche 2 of 2 verb niched; niching transitive verb : to place in or as if in a niche (see niche entry 1) Did you know? How do you pronounce niche? Is it \EESH\\ or \ICH\\? There is a debate about how you are supposed to pronounce niche. There are two common pronunciation variants, both of which are currently considered correct: \EESH\\ (rhymes with sheesh) and \ICH\\ (rhymes with pitch). \ICH\\ is the more common one and the older of the two pronunciations. It is the only pronunciation given for the word in all English dictionaries until the 20th century, when \EESH\\ was first listed as a pronunciation variant in Daniel Jones's English Pronouncing Dictionary (1917). \EESH\\ wasn’t listed as a pronunciation in our dictionaries until our 1961 Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged, and it wasn’t entered into our smaller Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary until 1993. Even then, it was marked in the Collegiate as a pronunciation that was in educated use but not considered acceptable until 2003. All this is to say that the historical pronunciation has been \ICH\\, and that \EESH\\ is a relative newcomer that came about likely under influence from French pronunciation conventions. At this point in time in the U.S., \ICH\\ is still the more common pronunciation, but \EESH\\ is gaining ground. Our evidence suggests that in British English, \EESH\\ is now the more common pronunciation. Synonyms Noun alcove nook recess See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Noun To succeed in this new world, you have to sell yourself. You go to a brand-name college, not to imbibe the wisdom of its professors, but to make impressions and connections. You pick a niche that can bring attention to yourself and then develop your personal public relations efforts to let the world know who you are. Alan Wolfe, New York Times Book Review, 7 Jan. 2001 The ivory-billed woodpecker, wan ghost of southern woodlands, may actually be flying forth from its niche in extinction. Frank Graham, Jr., Audubon, May/June 2000 Creatures in the genus Rickettsia occupy a niche between bacteria and viruses. They carry much of their own cellular equipment and are vulnerable to antibiotics, but like viruses they need to invade living cells in order to grow. Wayne Biddle, A Field Guide to Germs, 1995 No, a safe and humble backbencher's niche in the Senate was the inheritance of a Julius these days. Colleen McCullough, The First Man in Rome, 1990 A dozen or so fey young monks in saffron robes and shaven heads wafted from quiet niche to niche begging alms and looking very flesh-bound to my jaded eyes. Arthur Miller, Timebends, 1987 I found a niche for myself after high school. She finally found her niche as a teacher. the species that fill an environmental niche Verb The most moving of all the museums in Russia, right now, is also the smallest and the most unlikely. Niched with no fuss whatever in what was a communal apartment high in the annex of the former Sheremetyev Palace in St. Petersburg, it is devoted to a great Russian poet, Anna Akhmatova (1889-1966). John Russell, New York Times Book Review, 1 Jan. 1995 See More Recent Examples on the Web Noun Teachers are tasked with finding a student’s niche and empowering it, an ability Saban said must be recognized. Nick Alvarez \| Nalvarez@al.com, al, 14 Sep. 2022 Invocations to the Virgin Mary marked out the days of my childhood in bells; her feastdays gave a rhythm to the year; an eternal ideal of mortal beauty was fixed by the lineaments of her face, which gazed from every wall and niche. Clair Wills, The New York Review of Books, 7 Sep. 2022 Of course, chocolate advent calendars are always a win, but there are tons of others that are super niche and extra special. Katarina Avendano, Good Housekeeping, 26 Aug. 2022 Filling that need was Newport Aeronautical’s niche. WIRED, 19 Aug. 2022 Like everything else in my life, my voice doesn’t fall neatly in one category or niche. Aysha Imtiaz, WSJ, 12 Aug. 2022 Given its martial heritage and vintage styling, the design was until recently the preserve of military replica brands, the J. Peterman Company or niche Japanese labels like The Real McCoy’s. Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 9 Aug. 2022 The only way to know is to experience what others are offering or selling in your industry or niche. Ashley Stahl, Forbes, 9 Aug. 2022 What was once a gimmick and niche field has burst out in the political scene – in election races, campaigning, and lobbying. Kenneth Tran, USA TODAY, 9 July 2022 See More Word History Etymology Noun and Verb French, from Middle French, from nicher to nest, from Vulgar Latin nidicare, from Latin nidus* nest — more at nest First Known Use Noun 1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Verb 1753, in the meaning defined above Phrases Containing niche fill a niche sub-niche fill a niche sub-niche Kids Definition niche noun ˈnich 1 : an open hollow space in a wall (as for a statue) 2 : a place, job, or use for which a person or a thing is best fitted She found her niche in teaching. Medical Definition niche noun ˈnich sometimes ˈnish or ˈnēsh : crater typical niche formation resulting from an ulcer niching verb present participle of niche as in plopping Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance plopping locating establishing planking plumping ensconcing slapping planting assembling clapping orienting plunking positioning flopping plonking collecting wedging settling shifting rearranging plunking down reordering plonking down carrying anchoring parking situating sticking putting locking moving placing laying affixing berthing lodging disposing setting emplacing fixing depositing setting up deposing Antonyms & Near Antonyms removing taking relocating displacing replacing banishing superseding supplanting dislodging See More
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niche

noun

Illustration of niche

verb

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing niche

Kids Definition

noun

Medical Definition

noun

verb