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 of alcove

• pavilion

Examples of alcove in a Sentence

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

There were no bedrooms, just sleeping alcoves set into the walls. — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 30 Sep. 2026

Soft muslin linen and squashy feather bedding cover comfortable mattresses and each has its own shower tucked into an arched alcove. — Rosie Conroy, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026

That dining area converts over into a single bed, filling out the three-person maximum sleeping capacity for this floor plan in conjunction with the transverse bed in the alcove. — New Atlas, 20 Sep. 2026

Two piles of large rocks in the water partition the middle beach into its own alcove. — Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2026

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

Rhymes for alcove

• mangrove
• cove
• drove
• rove
• shrove
• stove
• strove
• throve
• trove
• wove

Kids Definition

alcove

noun

al·​cove ˈal-ˌkōv 

1

: a small section of a room set back from the rest of it

2

: an arched opening (as in a wall) : niche