niche
/niːʃ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.85 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A cavity, hollow, or recess, generally within the thickness of a wall, for a statue, bust, or other erect ornament.
noun
Any similar position, literal or figurative.
noun
Specifically, a cremation niche; a columbarium.
noun
A function within an ecological system to which an organism is especially suited.
noun
Any position of opportunity for which one is well-suited, such as a particular market in business.
Example Sentences
- "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."
- "I managed to carve out a niche for myself in the world of investigative journalism."
- "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."
- "a niched vase"
- "Product differentiation will be mostly limited to market niching and fashion."
- "niche products"
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.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /niːʃ/
- British English: /niːʃ/
Usage
Inflected Forms
niches (plural)
niches (present, singular)
niching (participle, present)
niched (participle, past)
niched (past)
more niche (comparative)
nicher (comparative)
most niche (superlative)
nichest (superlative)
Derived Forms
Phrases
Frequently Paired Words
niché