alley 1
/al"ee/ , n. , pl. alleys .
1. a passage, as through a continuous row of houses, permitting access from the street to backyards, garages, etc.
2. a narrow back street.
3. a walk, as in a garden, enclosed with hedges or shrubbery.
4. Bowling.
a. a long, narrow, wooden lane or floor along which the ball is rolled.
b. ( often pl. ) a building for bowling.
c. See bowling green .
5. Tennis. the space on each side of a tennis court between the doubles sideline and the service or singles sideline.
6. Rare. an aisle.
7. up or down one's alley , Informal. in keeping with or satisfying one's abilities, interests, or tastes: If you like science fiction, this book will be right up your alley.
[ 1350-1400; ME al ( e ) y alee walk, passage, deriv. of fem. of ale, ptp. of aler to walk (F aller ), prob. allari, regularized from allatus, the suppletive ptp. of afferre to bring (pass. afferri to be moved, conveyed, to betake oneself); F aller often allegedly ambulare to walk (see AMBLE), but this offers grave phonetic problems, since the m and b would not normally be lost ]
Syn. 2. See street .
alley 2
/al"ee/ , n. , pl. alleys . Chiefly Northeastern U.S.
a choice, large playing marble.
[ 1710-20; prob. AL(ABASTER) + -Y 2 , sp. to conform with ALLEY 1 ]