Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Tin Pan Alley

noun

Definition of Tin Pan Alley

: a district that is a center for composers and publishers of popular music; also : the body of such composers and publishers

See Tin Pan Alley defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of tin pan alley

1908

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year
NEW! Time Traveler

TIN PAN ALLEY Defined for English Language Learners

Tin Pan Alley

noun

Definition of Tin Pan Alley for English Language Learners

  • : an area in a city where people who write and produce popular music live and work

Learn More about tin pan alley

  1. See words that rhyme with Tin Pan Alley

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up Tin Pan Alley? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

thwart

play

to oppose successfully

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. hogwash 'nonsense, balderdash'

  2. probity 'adherence to the highest principles and ideals'

  3. sequacious 'intellectually servile'

  4. inadmissible 'not capable of being allowed'

  5. oligarch, pejorative 'a member a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes'

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Tin Pan Alley

Test Your Vocabulary

The Eponym Quiz

  • rubens-painting
  • Which is the best synonym of bowdlerize?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games