alley

plural alleys

1. A narrow street or passageway, especially one through the middle of a block giving access to the rear of lots of buildings.

   The parking lot to my friend's apartment building is in the alley.

   Synonyms: alleyway

2. ball gamesThe area between the outfielders.

   He hit one deep into the alley.

   Synonyms: gap

3. bowlingAn establishment where bowling is played.

   Synonyms: bowling alley

4. bowlingAn elongated wooden strip of floor along which a bowling ball is rolled.

   Synonyms: lane

5. hobbiesThe extra area between the sidelines or tramlines on a tennis court that is used for doubles matches.
6. A walk or passage in a garden or park, bordered by rows of trees or bushes.

   I know each lane and every alley green.

   Comus

   1634 October 9 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), [John Milton], edited by H[enry] Lawes, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […] [Comus], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for Hvmphrey Robinson, […], published 1637, →OCLC; reprinted as Comus: […] (Dodd, Mead & Company’s Facsimile Reprints of Rare Books; Literature Series; no. I), New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1903, →OCLC

7. A passageway between rows of pews in a church.
8. perspective drawingAny passage having the entrance represented as wider than the exit, so as to give the appearance of length.
9. The space between two rows of compositors' stands in a printing office.
10. informalrareA group of clowns; the collective noun for clowns.

    […] alley of clowns had sprung like a fungus growth from the dung heap of the First World War.

    2017, Charles William Jefford, Academia Nuts, page 78

    1 more example

    “[…] Something must've happened to him when he was little.” “Which would give him a reason to hate them,” Oliver replied and was pushed aside by an alley of clowns. “Hey!” “Sorry, kid. Didn't see you there,” one clown called over.

    2021, T. K. Wrathbone, All Clowns Must Die!

plural alleys

1. A marble (small ball used in games).

plural Alleys · alternative Aley

1. A surname.
2. A female given name.