alley Hear it!

alley¹ Definition

al·ley (al′ē)

noun pl. -·leys

  1. a lane in a garden or park, bordered by trees or shrubs
  2. a narrow street or walk, specif., a lane behind or alongside a row of buildings or between two rows of buildings that face on adjacent streets
  3. Baseball the part of the outfield between center field and either left field or right field
  4. Bowling lane (senses & )
  5. Tennis either of the narrow lanes, on opposite sides of the court, that extend the singles area for playing doubles

Etymology: ME aly < OFr alee < aler (Fr aller), to go < ML alare, contr. < L ambulare, to walk: see amble

alley¹ Idioms

up someone's alley

or down someone's alley☆

Slang suited to someone's tastes or abilities

alley² Definition

al·ley (al′ē)

noun pl. -·leys

a fine marble used as the shooter in playing marbles

Etymology: < alabaster, formerly used for marbles

alley Synonyms

alley

n.

back street, lane, rear way; see road 1.

up<strong> <em>or</em> </strong>down one's alley

suited to one's abilities, suited to one's tastes, suited to one's interests, enjoyable; see fit 1.

alley Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • cobble: Narrow streets, some cobbled, alleys leading down to the waters edge.
  • bowl: Artificial ice rink, indoor swimming pool, indoor tennis, squash, fitness center, bowling alley.
  • gat: How to apply for alleygating Advice The process of having an alley gated can be complex.
  • wind: With its winding alleys intricately laced between cool squares, stepping in to Middle Temple really is like stepping back in time.

Adjective modifier

  • blind: The blind alley they lead us down is a dead end.
  • narrow: The village is a maze of narrow alleys, topped by a 12th century church.
  • dark: You can't go down dark alleys in studios - you find the studio wall!
  • quaint: Quaint little alleys and yards off the steep main street house many interesting shops offering a wide range of unusual gifts and mementos.
  • pedestrian: Next to their front door is a pedestrian alley.
  • tiny: Tucked down a tiny alley, which is almost impossible to find, is this little gem.

Modifies a noun

  • oop: Nyquist - alley oop flair at the bike show 2004.
  • cat: Honestly, just like a pair of alley cats.
  • gate: Together with the alley gates we are supporting residents to create two communal gardens on sites of previously demolished houses.
  • confidence: Walking through the alley confidence holding her father's arm, but suddenly the shoes slip and she fell down.

Noun used with modifier

  • skittle: Hence you crawl out from under the safety of a particularly large boulder to find yourself at the base of the skittle alley.
  • bowling: MULDER: Yeah, from the bowling alley, going back seven years.
  • ten-pin: Situated at Atlantico Commercial Center where there is a variety of shops, bars, restaurants, cinema and ten-pin bowling alley.
  • tenpin: Many tenpin bowling alleys are open seven days a week, every day of the year with the exception of Christmas day.
  • cloister: Books might also have been kept in the Sacristy or in the adjacent cloister alley.
  • yew: I do not know of any other garden, real or fictitious, claiming to have a " yew alley " .