See Also: Niche(money)
niche(medicine)
niche(encyclopedia)
niche(dictionary)
niche 1, noun(dictionary)
Haudek's niche(medicine)
Niche Market(money)
Market Niche(money)
enamel niche(medicine)
niche 2, adjective(dictionary)

niche (iou)



niche noun & verb. E17.
[Old & mod. French, from Old French nichier (mod. nicher) make a nest, nestle, from Proto-Romance from Latin nidus nest.]
A. noun.
An artificially constructed wall recess; spec. (a) a shallow ornamental recess for a statue, urn, etc.; (b) (now rare) a small vaulted recess or chamber in the thickness of a wall. E17.
Byron It leads through winding walls..and obscure niches, to I know not whither. P. H. Newby A niche in the cloisters held a Madonna and two circles of..candles.
b. A natural hollow in a rock or hill. M19.
c. More fully prayer niche. A mihrab motif on an oriental prayer rug. E20.
fig.
a. A place or position suited to or intended for a person's capabilities, occupation, or status. E18.
B. Moore Men of his age..have found their niche They are not greedy for further powers.
b. A place of safety or retreat. E18.
c. Ecology. A position or role taken by a kind of organism within its community. E20.
D. Norman The..evolution of herbivorous dinosaurs to fill the niches vacated by the herbivorous cynodonts.
d. Commerce. A position from which an opening in a market etc. can be exploited; esp. a specialized but profitable segment of a commercial market. M20.
attrib.: Times Niche outlets selling lingerie, shoes and accessories are doing well.
b. verb.
verb trans. Place (a statue, urn, etc.) in a niche. Usu. in pass. M18.
b. Construct as a niche. (Foll. by into, in.) E19.
verb trans. Place in a recess or nook; ensconce, settle (esp. oneself) comfortably in a corner etc. M18.
verb intrans. Nestle, settle. rare. E19.
niched ppl adjective that has been niched; provided with a niche: L18.
nichemanship noun [-MANSHIP] Commerce the policy of or skill in identifying and exploiting a market niche L20.