I. ˈalē, -li noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English aley , from Medieval Latin aleia passage & Middle French alee action of going, journey, passage, from Old French alee action of going, journey, passage, from feminine of alé, past participle of aler to go, probably from (assumed) Vulgar Latin amlare, alteration of Latin ambulare to walk — more at amble
1. : a garden or park walk or passage bordered by trees or bushes
2.
a.
(1) : a grassed enclosure for bowling or skittles
(2) : a hardwood lane at the end of which pins are set up for bowling and down which a ball is bowled
(3) : the bowling unit consisting of surface lane, gutter, and backstop
(4) : the building housing a group of such units
b. : the space on each side of a tennis doubles court between the sideline and the service sideline — see tennis illustration
c. : the strip of a field-hockey area between the 5-yard line and the sideline
3.
a. : a passageway between buildings
b. : a lane wide enough only for persons on foot : a narrow street wide enough for only one vehicle
c. : a thoroughfare through the middle of a square or block giving access to the rear of lots or buildings
d. : a passage or covered way into or to a house or building
4. : a blank or open space between rows of any kind: as
a. chiefly dialect : a passageway between rows of pews in a church : aisle
b. : the floor space between the long sides of two parallel rows of compositors' stands
c. : the space between each two rows of a crop
•
- up one's alley
II. noun
also al·ly “
( -s )
Etymology: by alteration and shortening from alabaster (I)
: a superior playing marble ; especially : one made of alabaster, glass, or marble
III. noun
: either of two areas in a baseball outfield lying between the normal positions of the center fielder and the left or right fielder
lined a double up the alley in left center field