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

An employee then took Boe into the alley and pointed out the cameras. —Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 29 May 2024

At this point, standing near a dumpster in the alley, Rossman helped Lauren onto a curb. —Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 26 May 2024

No secret agreements with favor seekers, no back alley handshakes to foment deals that smell of personal agendas. —Patrick Wallis, Baltimore Sun, 24 May 2024

And that’s intentional, Mr. Jónasson says, because his model as a crime writer is more apt to be found in the pastoral villages and cozy tea rooms of Agatha Christie’s St. Mary Mead than in the seamy back alleys of Oslo. —Kristina Lindborg, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 May 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