Small, hidden corners or recessed spaces in a room or building.
From Old Norse 'hnúkki' meaning 'a hook or corner,' which entered English through Scandinavian settlers. The word originally described any hook-shaped or bent thing, then specialized to mean corners.
The phrase 'nooks and crannies' has become so common as a set phrase that people often forget they're nearly synonymous—nooks and crannies together paint a complete picture of searching every possible small space, which is why this cliché has survived for centuries.
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