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

Amid the hustle and bustle of Shanghai, Samuel Gui Yang has created a quiet alcove as the Chinese brand’s first retail outpost. — Denni Hu, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026

Seated on the quieter, south end of the beach, this is a remarkably secluded alcove made for retreat. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026

The day before, air alerts sent the group to this musty-smelling alcove four times in three hours. — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2026

Formerly a one-bedroom with ten-foot ceilings in an 1850s brownstone, it’s been opened up into an alcove studio that can fit a king-size bed. — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 5 Oct. 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