English Explanatory Dictionary

alley

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A narrow street or passageway, especially one through the middle of a block giving access to the rear of lots of buildings.
  2. The area between the outfielders.
  3. An establishment where bowling is played.
  4. An elongated wooden strip of floor along which a bowling ball is rolled.
  5. The extra area between the sidelines or tramlines on a tennis court that is used for doubles matches.
  6. A walk or passage in a garden or park, bordered by rows of trees or bushes.
  7. A passageway between rows of pews in a church.
  8. Any passage having the entrance represented as wider than the exit, so as to give the appearance of length.
  9. The space between two rows of compositors' stands in a printing office.
  10. A group of clowns; the collective noun for clowns.
noun
  1. A marble (small ball used in games).
name
  1. A surname.
  2. A female given name.

Pronunciation

/ˈæl.i/ en-us-alley.ogg

Word forms

alley alleys Aley

Etymology

From Middle English aleye, from Anglo-Norman aleie, feminine of alé, past participle of aler (“to go”) (French aller). Doublet of allée.

Synonyms

alley alleyway backs bunnyrun chare chore close ennog entry fold gangway gant gennel ginnel gunnel gitty gully gullyway hocket jennel jigger jitty lane laneway loke passage pend rabbit run shut snickelway snicket tenfoot twitchel twitten wynd vennel gap bowling alley

Derived words

alley apple alley ball alley cat alley crop alleyed alleygating alleylike alley stone alleyway back alley back-alley ball alley blind alley bowling alley Bowling Alley Point Carolina Alley Dixie Alley down someone's alley Gasoline Alley Hailstorm Alley handball alley Hoosier Alley Hurricane Alley Iceberg Alley kilowatt alley MiG Alley O'Malley's Alley Peacock Alley power alley right up someone's alley shaft alley sideshow alley skittle alley South Alley Stroke Alley Tornado Alley Typhoon Alley up someone's alley blood alley
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