apse vs recess

apse and recess both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
apse	Yes	No	No	No
recess	Yes	No	Yes	No

As nouns, recess is a hypernym of apse; that is, recess is a word with a broader meaning than apse:

apse: a domed or vaulted recess or projection on a building especially the east end of a church; usually contains the altar
recess: an enclosure that is set back or indented

Other hypernyms of apse include niche.

apse (noun)	recess (noun)
a domed or vaulted recess or projection on a building especially the east end of a church; usually contains the altar	a pause from doing something (as work)
	an enclosure that is set back or indented
	an arm off of a larger body of water (often between rocky headlands)
	a small concavity
	a state of abeyance or suspended business