ALLEY
What does "ALLEY" mean?
A narrow passageway between or behind buildings.
Meanings
- A narrow street or lane, especially one running behind buildings. The cat slipped down the alley behind the bakery.
- A long narrow lane used for bowling. He rolled a strike at the end of the alley.
- A path bordered by trees or hedges in a garden or park. We strolled the shaded alley between the rose beds. formal
Did you know?
- An 'alley' is literally 'a walking': it comes from Old French 'alee', from 'aler' (to go), a cousin of 'amble' and even 'ambulance'.
Word origin
From Old French 'alee' (a passage or walking), from 'aler' (to go), itself probably from Latin 'ambulare' (to walk); an alley is literally 'a walking place'.
Remember it
ALLEY: think 'all the way' down the narrow lane - and the phrase 'up your alley' for something that suits you.
A little poem
Two walls, one thin sky-
the city's forgotten seam
where the cats hold court.
haiku
Wordplay
- I told the bowling coach this lane wasn't really my thing. He said funny - it's literally right up your alley.
What it teaches
Every city's real character lives in its alleys, not its avenues: the seams reveal more than the facade.
Quick facts
What does ALLEY mean?
A narrow passageway between or behind buildings.
Is ALLEY a valid word?
Yes — ALLEY is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is ALLEY?
ALLEY has 5 letters and 2 syllables.
Where does ALLEY come from?
From Old French 'alee' (a passage or walking), from 'aler' (to go), itself probably from Latin 'ambulare' (to walk); an alley is literally 'a walking place'.
What can ALLEY teach us?
Every city's real character lives in its alleys, not its avenues: the seams reveal more than the facade.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.