nook

Meaning

Noun

1. A small corner formed by two walls; an alcove.
2. A hidden or secluded spot; a secluded retreat.
3. A recess, cove or hollow.
4. (historical) An English unit of land area, originally ¹⁄₄ of a yardland but later 12+¹⁄₂ or 20 acres.
5. (Northern-England, archaic) A corner of a piece of land; an angled piece of land, especially one extending into other land.
6. (vulgar) The vagina-like genitalia of a troll, featured in Homestuck fanworks but not in canon.

Verb

1. To withdraw into a nook.
2. To situate in a nook.

Synonyms

corner

niche

cranny

recess

out-of-the-way place

cavity

cubby

cubbyhole

shelter

angle

lane

dominate

extremes

harbor

harborage

harbour

haven

hole

🕳️

outskirts

place

quoin

rand

sinus

snuggery

solid angle

remote place

safehold

home site

alcove

quiet spot

alleyway

asylum

bay

cave

chock

concavity

cove

creek

cubicle

dent

Translations

coin

Winkel

Ecke

rincón

canto

angolo

recoin

γωνιά

Schlupfwinkel

Nische

cantuccio

hoekje

angle

Pronounced as (IPA)

/nʊk/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: noke

Cognate with Scots: neuk

Inherited from Old English: hnoc

Cognate with Scots: nok

Cognate with Norwegian: -

Cognate with Danish: nok

Cognate with Swedish: nock

Cognate with Faroese: nokki

Cognate with Icelandic: hnokki

Cognate with Dutch: nok

Cognate with Dutch: hoek

Cognate with Low German: Nocke

Cognate with Old Norse: hnúka

Cognate with Old English: ġehnycned

In summary

From Middle English noke, nok (“nook, corner, angle”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Old English hnoc, hnocc (“hook, angle”), from Proto-Germanic *hnukkaz, *hnukkô (“a bend”), from Proto-Indo-European *knewg- (“to turn, press”), from Proto-Indo-European *ken- (“to pinch, press, bend”).
If so, then also related to Scots nok (“small hook”), Norwegian dialectal nok, nokke (“hook, angle, bent object”), Danish nok (“hook”), Swedish nock (“ridge”), Faroese nokki (“crook”), Icelandic hnokki (“hook”), Dutch nok (“ridge”) or Dutch hoek (“corner”), Low German Nocke (“tip”), Old Norse hnúka (“to bend, crouch”), Old English ġehnycned (“drawn, pinched, wrinkled”). Also cognate with Scots neuk, nuk (“corner, angle of a square, angular object”).