aisle

[ ahyl ]
See synonyms for: aisleaisles on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a walkway between or along blocks or rows of seats in a theater, classroom, airplane, etc.: We were glad to get seats next to the aisle for that flight.

  2. Architecture.

    • a longitudinal division of an interior area, such as in a church, separated from the main area by an arcade or the like.

    • any of the longitudinal divisions of a church or similarly shaped building.

  1. the aisle, the divide or division between two political factions or parties: The Democrat reached across the aisle to form a bipartisan coalition.Her proposal was criticized by folks on both sides of the aisle.

Idioms about aisle

  1. in the aisles. rolling (def. 10).

  2. walk / go down the aisle, to get married: Fewer couples are walking down the aisle these days.

Origin of aisle

1
First recorded in 1350–1400, and in 1880–85 for def. 3; alteration (with ai from French aile “wing”) of earlier ile, isle (with s from isle), from Middle French, from Latin āla “wing,” cognate with axle; see ala; sense of def. 3 derives from the central aisle dividing Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and in other legislative chambers

Other words from aisle

  • aisled, adjective
  • un·aisled, adjective

Words that may be confused with aisle

Words Nearby aisle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use aisle in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for aisle

aisle

/ (aɪl) /


noun
  1. a passageway separating seating areas in a theatre, church, etc; gangway

  2. a lateral division in a church flanking the nave or chancel

  1. rolling in the aisles informal (of an audience) overcome with laughter

Origin of aisle

1
C14 ele (later aile, aisle, through confusion with isle (island)), via Old French from Latin āla wing

Derived forms of aisle

  • aisled, adjective
  • aisleless, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012