side street

American  

noun

1. a street leading away from a main street; an unimportant street or one carrying but little traffic.

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side street British  

noun

1. a minor or unimportant street, esp one leading off a main thoroughfare

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side street Idioms  

1. A minor thoroughfare that carries little traffic, as in Our favorite hotel is on a quiet little side street. The side in this idiom means “off to one side, away from the main street.” [c. 1600] Also see back street.

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Etymology

Origin of side street

First recorded in 1610–20

Example Sentences

“We are going to be looking around, and we are staying with the group, not going on a side street, and not gather unnecessarily.”

From MarketWatch

Celia flips on the turn signal and pulls onto a side street, where she parks in front of a brown house.

From Literature

A group of Nazi soldiers came out of a side street, heading straight towards us!

From Literature

Some of them grouped together, talking in low voices before disappearing into the doorway of a house or down a side street.

From Literature

There’s also one in Hollywood where Cafe Des Artistes used to be on that weird little side street.

From Los Angeles Times