alcove
noun
al·cove ˈal-ˌkōv 
1
a
: a small recessed section of a room : nook
b
: an arched opening (as in a wall) : niche
2
: summerhouse sense 2
alcoved
ˈal-ˌkōvd
adjective 
Synonyms
- belvedere
- casino
- gazebo
- kiosk
- pavilion
- summerhouse
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
a small alcove in one corner of the backyard garden an ancient vase in an alcove and a sculpture of Achilles on a stand in the museum's Greek Hall
Recent Examples on the Web Hubbell created the clay Our Lady of Guadalupe sculpture years ago for an outdoor alcove at the San Diego Mission de Alcala. 
San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Sep. 2022 This is especially beneficial if your machines sit within an alcove in a narrow space, like a hall closet. Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Aug. 2022 There are blood drops leading into the alcove from the first shots where he was wounded. Cnn Staff, CNN, 4 Aug. 2022 If the shelf fits into an alcove, it’s probably supported by wooden cleats screwed to the wall that fit into a recess along the ends and back edge of the shelf. Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 27 June 2022 Some distance into the cave, Ackerman stooped over to pluck a small bone from a dark alcove and then placed it daintily on a ledge. Matthew Sherrill, Outside Online, 17 June 2020 Tucked in an alcove, my husband, Dave, son, Seth, and I lift our beers high while parsing the graphic, almost violent, nature of Iceland, a place where the Earth seems to split open to reveal its internal organs. New York Times, 3 June 2022 Plans are to install the tree under an alcove leading to the Performing Arts Center at the new Berea-Midpark High School. cleveland, 11 Mar. 2022 An antique child's bed from Belgium reigns in the alcove. Krissa Rossbund, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 May 2022 See More
San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Sep. 2022 This is especially beneficial if your machines sit within an alcove in a narrow space, like a hall closet. Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Aug. 2022 There are blood drops leading into the alcove from the first shots where he was wounded. Cnn Staff, CNN, 4 Aug. 2022 If the shelf fits into an alcove, it’s probably supported by wooden cleats screwed to the wall that fit into a recess along the ends and back edge of the shelf. Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 27 June 2022 Some distance into the cave, Ackerman stooped over to pluck a small bone from a dark alcove and then placed it daintily on a ledge. Matthew Sherrill, Outside Online, 17 June 2020 Tucked in an alcove, my husband, Dave, son, Seth, and I lift our beers high while parsing the graphic, almost violent, nature of Iceland, a place where the Earth seems to split open to reveal its internal organs. New York Times, 3 June 2022 Plans are to install the tree under an alcove leading to the Performing Arts Center at the new Berea-Midpark High School. cleveland, 11 Mar. 2022 An antique child's bed from Belgium reigns in the alcove. Krissa Rossbund, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 May 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
French alcôve, from Spanish alcoba, from Arabic al-qubba the arch
First Known Use
1655, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Kids Definition
alcove
noun
al·cove ˈal-ˌkōv
: a small part of a room set back from the rest of it
alcoves
noun
1
as in pavilions
a freestanding airy structure in a scenic setting (as a park) typically offering commanding views a small alcove in one corner of the backyard garden Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- pavilions
- kiosks
- gazebos
- casinos
- belvederes
- summerhouses
- trellises
2
as in nooks
a hollowed-out space in a wall an ancient vase in an alcove and a sculpture of Achilles on a stand in the museum's Greek Hall Synonyms & Similar Words
- nooks
- corners
- niches
- recesses
- housings
- cubbyholes
- crannies
- cubicles
- shrines
- embrasures
- indents
- indentations
- dents
- indentures
- ambries