alley

nounnarrow passage

Synonyms for alley

noun narrow passage

Word Origin & History

mid-14c., "passage in a house; open passage between buildings; walkway in a garden," from Old French alee (13c., Modern French allée) "a path, passage, way, corridor," also "a going," from fem. of ale, past participle of aler "to go," which ultimately may be a contraction of Latin ambulare "to walk," or from Gallo-Romance allari, a back-formation from Latin allatus "having been brought to" [Barnhart]. Cf. sense evolution of gate. Applied by c.1500 to "long narrow enclosure for playing at bowls, skittles, etc." Used in place names from c.1500.

The word is applied in American English to what in London is called a mews, and also is used there especially of a back-lane parallel to a main street (1729). To be up someone's alley "in someone's neighborhood" (literally or figuratively) is from 1931; alley-cat attested by 1890.

Example Sentences for alley

They have moved from the alley; the surroundings were not such as they liked.

Through the trees the mouth of the alley could be seen, opening out on a moonlit glade.

Then but a few moments to reach Gerty's alley, and Gerty's window.

Up the alley went the car, police keeping the crowd from following.

He walked on ahead of them, turned down an alley, and disappeared.

Reassured at the sight of the youth, but angry, the instructor moved into the alley.

You saw nothing in that alley, yet you asked me to come back and look.

They walked in silence down the alley which led to the ball-room.

The car in mention was doing sixty as it came out of the alley ahead of us.

Next he imagined he was in the alley, in the little staircase he had so frequently ascended.

alley

Synonyms for alley

aisles

avenue

avenues

back road

gymnasium

alley

Synonyms for alley

More words related to alley

aisle

aisles

avenue

avenues

back road

gymnasium