fireplace vs recess

fireplace and recess both are nouns.

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

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

fireplace: an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built
recess: an enclosure that is set back or indented

Other hypernyms of fireplace include niche.

fireplace (noun)	recess (noun)
an open recess in a wall at the base of a chimney where a fire can be built	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