niche

niche

1. a recess in a wall, esp one that contains a statue

2. any similar recess, such as one in a rock face

3. Commerce relating to or aimed at a small specialized group or market

4. Ecology the role of a plant or animal within its community and habitat, which determines its activities, relationships with other organisms, etc.

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

Niche

A recess in a wall; usually semicircular at the back, terminating in a half-dome, or with small pediments supported on consoles, often used as a place for a statue.

angle niche

A niche formed at a corner of a building; common in medieval architecture.

Illustrated Dictionary of Architecture Copyright © 2012, 2002, 1998 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

niche

[nich]

(ecology)

The unique role or way of life of a plant or animal species.

(geology)

A shallow cave or reentrant produced by weathering and erosion near the base of a rock face or cliff or beneath a waterfall.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

niche

A recess in a wall, usually to contain sculpture or an urn; often semicircular in plan, surmounted by a half dome.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. Copyright © 2003 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Niche

 

(1) In architecture, a recess in a wall for a statue, a vase, built-in shelves, and similar objects. Niches are sometimes used to impart a sculptural quality to a wall.

(2) In geomorphology, a niche, or crater, is a cavity in the lower part of a protruding abrasion shoreline. It occurs as a result of wave erosion. As the niche becomes deeper, the weight of the bench of bedrock hanging over it increases. The bench finally breaks off and a cliff, an overhanging scarp, forms.

(3) In military science, a niche is a recess in the wall of a trench or communications passage. It is used to store ammunition and water and serves as protection from bullets, shell fragments, and mortar fire. It is also a shelter during bad weather. In loose soils, the walls and ceiling of the niche are faced with boards or any available material.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.