alley

1 of 2

noun (1)

al·​ley ˈa-lē 

plural alleys

1

: a garden or park walk bordered by trees or bushes

2

a(1)

: a grassed enclosure for bowling or skittles

(2)

: a hardwood lane for bowling

also : a room or building housing a group of such lanes

b

: the space on each side of a tennis doubles court between the sideline and the service sideline

c

: an area in a baseball outfield between two outfielders when they are in normal positions

hit a line drive into the alley

3

: a narrow street

especially : a thoroughfare through the middle of a block giving access to the rear of lots or buildings

4

: an extensive region where destructive natural phenomena of a specified type (such as tornadoes) occur often or are likely to occur

The most obvious tornado alley extends from the plains of northwest Texas eastward into north Texas and then northward across Oklahoma, Kansas, and eastern Nebraska.

—Tom Konvicka

alley

2 of 2

noun (2)

plural alleys

: a playing marble

especially : one of superior quality

Phrases

up one's alley or less commonly down one's alley

: suited to one's own tastes or abilities

a job that's right up her alley

Examples of alley in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Desire Bandz, drop-in center coordinator for the trans outreach nonprofit Maryland Safe Haven, told ABC affiliate WMAR that Lathan had been shot five times and covered in a blanket in the alley. —Samantha Riedel, Them, 8 Aug. 2024

Recommendations The Altstadt, or Old Town, forms Salzburg’s nucleus, with excellent restaurants, cafes and traditional clothing shops lining its cobblestone, medieval alleys. —A.j. Goldmann, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2024

About an hour from the hotel is Évora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that showcases the rich history and culture of Alentejo in its Roman temple, the Gothic cathedral, the Moorish alleys, and the Renaissance palaces that dot the medieval walls. —Celeste Moure, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 July 2024

Pita Jungle: Entrance/exit will be maintained from Mill Avenue and the alley connection from University Drive. —Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 24 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French alee, from aler to go

Noun (2)

by shortening and alteration from alabaster

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1720, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing alley

• alley cat
• alley-oop
• blind alley
• bowling alley
• down one's alley
• (right) up/down someone's alley
• up one's alley

Kids Definition

alley

noun

al·​ley

ˈal-ē

plural alleys

1

: a garden or park walk bordered by trees or bushes

2

: a narrow wooden floor on which balls are rolled in bowling

also : a room or building housing a number of such alleys

3

: a narrow street or passageway between buildings