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alleyway

alleyway

37 2.7
A narrow passage between buildings, often behind them
  • noun
  • /ˈæliˌweɪ/
translation icon : callejón
  • The cat darted down the alleyway between the two tall buildings.
  • streets and alleyways
  • old alleyway

And we went to this restaurant in like a little cute alleyway that was school themed.

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Examples

  • They waited in an alleyway.

  • There's a woman being chased through the alleyway!

  • So we're going to take the secret alleyway, this one.

  • In the alleyway, headed towards your end of the street.

  • I got a good feeling about this alleyway.

  • His window faced an alleyway, and he could not see the street in front of the building.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Looking up and down the narrow alleyway, he realized one direction was as good as another.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • And we went to this restaurant in like a little cute alleyway that was school themed.

  • A knot of people emerged from an alleyway behind Martine.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • A cat darts out from an alleyway and startles him.

    Fiction book (1993)

Synonyms

alley
vsalleyway
349 1.0

A narrow street between buildings, often behind shops or houses

is often enclosed by high walls on both sides
passageway
vsalleyway
50 3.2

A long narrow space that connects rooms or parts of a building

is an outdoor narrow route between buildings rather than inside
back alley
vsalleyway
  • US
16 2.7

A narrow street behind buildings used as a shortcut

is a general narrow passage not defined by delivery or shortcut use
back street
vsalleyway
5 3.3

A narrow street behind main streets that few people use

is used regardless of traffic and does not stress low frequency
laneway
vsalleyway
  • UK
1 4.4

A narrow passage between buildings in a town or city

is used for narrow passages in general, not only in urban areas
snicket
vsalleyway
  • UK
1 9.9

A narrow passage between buildings that people use as a shortcut

is the neutral term without regional marking or label
areaway
vsalleyway
9.9

A low open space between or beside buildings that gives light and access to a basement

is a narrow enclosed street between buildings rather than an open light area

How Narrow

alleyway
37 2.7
lane
405 1.0
street
1.0
road
1.0

Surface Forms

alleyway singular
alleyways plural

Morphology

alleyway = alley + way (transparent) = alley + way

The meaning is directly composed from 'alley' + 'way' and is easily inferable by learners.

Etymology

Alleyway comes from alley, a word that used to mean 'a walk' or a small passage from the old French verb aller meaning 'to go', and way simply means 'path'. So an alleyway is just a narrow path or street you 'go' through between buildings.