Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A recess or partly enclosed extension connected to or forming part of a room.
  • noun A secluded structure, such as a bower, in a garden.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A covered recess.
  • noun A recess in an escarpment formed by the more rapid retrogressive erosion of one part than of another.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Arch.) A recessed portion of a room, or a small room opening into a larger one; especially, a recess to contain a bed; a lateral recess in a library.
  • noun A small ornamental building with seats, or an arched seat, in a pleasure ground; a garden bower.
  • noun Any natural recess analogous to an alcove or recess in an apartment.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A small recessed area set off from a larger room.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a small recess opening off a larger room

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French alcôve, from Spanish alcoba, from Arabic al-qubba, the vault : al-, the, qubba, vault.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French alcôve, from Spanish or Portuguese alcova, alcoba, from Arabic القبة ‘the vault, chamber with vaulted roof’.

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Examples

  • Within the alcove is my ebony rod, wound with the silver serpent.

    The Golden Apple Tree 1920

  • He presses a button and alcove is lighted by electricity, discovering the face of a large safe.

    THEFT 2010

  • (Old Slave Block in St. Louis Hotel, New Orleans -- The name over the middle alcove is "M. Barnett", which was my birth name)

    REFLECTING Maggie Jochild 2007

  • Allah’s wrath to a black stone, and the Queen thou foundest in the alcove is my mother.

    The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night 2006

  • The alcove is Lilac at Charlie’s request, he picked the colours himself.

    Charlie’s New Room…Makeover Room 1. 2010

  • Looking across the bay or large alcove from the Zejua’s restaurant area, one could see in the distance, like a mirage, this lovely tropical, coconut tree strewn island like beach, “vacant” and worthy of visiting for a life time.

    The First Time You Saw Mexico.... 2006

  • Tucked in an alcove was a little boy no older than six.

    Rogue Wave Boyd Morrison 2010

  • This area is an alcove, created by a gap in the center field bleachers, and in the alcove are the stairs that lead to the two clubhouses.

    WILLIE MAYS JAMES S. HIRSCH 2010

  • On the screen opposite the alcove was a large canvas with a great many square tomato-colored blobs on it, and nothing else, so far as

    To Let 2004

  • In an alcove was a washbasin and a door that led to the outside storage area, mainly used for empty crates and bottles and for washing and peeling vegetables.

    The Summer of My Greek Tavérna Tom Stone 2002

Comments

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  • The rest of the apartment consists of a dining alcove, living room with television, one bedroom, and bath. -Janet Evanovich/finger lickin' fifteen

    September 22, 2010