English

A back alley in Devonport

Noun

back alley ‎(plural back alleys)

1. An alleyway that runs behind a row of houses, or between rows of houses
   • 2016 May 23, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, “Apocalypse pits the strengths of the X-Men series against the weaknesses”, in The Onion AV Club:

     Apocalypse also happens to be a Fagin figure, shuffling around the back alleys of Cairo, where he makes the weather-controlling pickpocket Storm (Alexandra Shipp) his first follower by offering her baubles.

Related terms

• back-alley

Usage notes

• In the United Kingdom, a residence whose only entrance is on a back alley will have an address of the form "Back Something Street", where the row of houses is in "Something Street".