niche
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See also: niché
English
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from French niche, from Middle French niche, from Old French niche, from nicher (“to make a nest”) (modern French nicher), from Vulgar Latin *nīdicāre, from Latin nīdus (“nest”). Doublet of nidus and nide via Latin and nest via Proto-Indo-European; also related to nyas.
Pronunciation
Noun
niche (plural niches)
- (architecture) A cavity, hollow, or recess, generally within the thickness of a wall, for a statue, bust, or other erect ornament.
- Synonym: nook
- 1641, John Evelyn, edited by William Bray, John Evelyn's Diary, volume 1, London: Henry Colburn, published 1850, page 34:
- On the margin of this long tract, are abundance of shrines and images, defended from the injuries of the weather by niches of stone wherein they are placed.
- Any similar position, literal or figurative.
- Specifically, a cremation niche; a columbarium.
- (ecology) A function within an ecological system to which an organism is especially suited.
- (by extension) Any position of opportunity for which one is well-suited, such as a particular market in business.
- Synonyms: specialty, specialization
- 2022 April 5, Elizabeth Wetmore, “How Far Will Parents Go to Protect Their Sons?”, in The New York Times:
- Whitney, mother of Xavier, is a real estate titan who, along with her British husband, has found her niche selling luxurious underground bunkers to wealthy clients looking for a safe space to hunker down in the event of a climate apocalypse.
- (Islam) An arrow woven into a prayer rug pointing in the direction of qibla.
Derived terms
Translations
cavity, hollow, or recess
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ecological function of an organism
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position of opportunity
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Verb
niche (third-person singular simple present niches, present participle niching, simple past and past participle niched)
- (transitive) To place in a niche.
- a niched vase
- (transitive, marketing) To specialize in a niche, or particular narrow section of the market.
- 2002, Frederick Betz, Executive Strategy, page 92:
- Product differentiation will be mostly limited to market niching and fashion.
Adjective
niche (comparative more niche or nicher, superlative most niche or nichest)
- Pertaining to or intended for a market niche; having specific appeal; obscure.
- niche products
- niche audience
Translations
See also
Anagrams
Dutch
Etymology
Borrowed from French niche, from Middle French niche, from Old French niche.
Pronunciation
Noun
niche f (plural niches, diminutive nicheje n)
See also
French
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
Inherited from Middle French niche, from Old French niche, deverbal of nichier (“make a nest”), from an unattested verb *nīdicāre, from Latin nīdus (“nest”).
Noun
niche f (plural niches)
Descendants
See also
Etymology 2
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Verb
niche
- inflection of nicher:
Further reading
- “niche”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.
Anagrams
Norman
Etymology
From Old French niche, from nichier (“make a nest”), from Latin nīdus (“nest”).
Noun
niche f (plural niches)
Synonyms
Spanish
Pronunciation
Noun
niche m (plural niches)
Further reading
- “niche”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014