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

But over the next few months, contractors will transform the alley into two blocks of pedestrian-only space, lined with trees, planters, benches and lights. —Luis Melecio-Zambrano, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024

The 23-year-old victim had been shot and was face down in one of two areas of the alley that had been set on fire. —Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Apr. 2024

In that case, a young male zebra named Sero escaped the Children’s Grand Park and ran alongside traffic and down narrow alleys until it was subdued with tranquilizers. —Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 27 Mar. 2024

Seek out risks Don’t walk down dark alleys at night or order ghost peppers on your next burrito. —Mary C. Murphy, Fortune Well, 19 Mar. 2024

The alley will display a timeline of sports leading up to the draft, city records show. —Detroit Free Press, 13 Mar. 2024

Matching luxury cars flank the pair before stunt doubles continue to fill the alley. —Michael Saponara, Billboard, 4 Apr. 2024

The next handful of scenes sees Mike determinedly walking through an alley, cops moving in on a location in the middle of the night and Mike crouching in front of Mitch’s tombstone. —Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 28 Mar. 2024

Elections staffers have been harassed, and during a June 2022 election, someone hung a trail camera — the kind hunters use to track wildlife — in the alley behind the registrar’s office. —Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 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