|
niche
|
|
- pronunciation:
- nIch
[or]
nish
- parts of speech:
- noun, transitive verb
- features:
- Word Combinations (noun), Word History
part of speech: |
noun |
definition 1: |
a crevice or recessed area, esp. an ornamental one set in a wall to hold a statue, urn, or the like.
That niche is the best place to display that bust of Beethoven.The climber found a niche for his fingers and somehow pulled himself up.- synonyms:
- nook, recess
- similar words:
- alcove, cavity, cranny, crevice, cubbyhole, hollow
|
definition 2: |
a situation or activity for which a person or organization is especially well suited.
He'd always been interested in chemistry but finally found his niche in chemical engineering.- similar words:
- calling, element, métier, medium, place, position, role, slot
|
definition 3: |
the part of an ecological system occupied by a particular organism, or the functions of that organism in the system.
The niche of earthworms in the production of soil and growth of plants.- similar words:
- element, environment, function, habitat, job, medium
|
related words: |
bay, nook, offset |
|
|
|
|
part of speech: |
transitive verb |
inflections: |
niches, niching, niched |
definition: |
to place in a niche.
- similar words:
- recess
|
related words: |
offset |
Niche comes from nicchia, an Italian word that means "nook." This Italian word was formed from an earlier word, nicchio, which means "seashell."
|
|