Narrow passages or walkways between buildings or structures.
From Old French 'alee' meaning 'a going' or 'passage,' derived from the verb 'aller' meaning 'to go.' The word entered English in the 14th century and originally referred to garden paths before expanding to mean urban passages.
Alleys are the hidden nervous system of cities—they started as practical shortcuts but became notorious in crime fiction and urban culture, showing how the same space can be dangerous or charming depending on who's using it.
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