# aisle

Pronunciation: say "YL" /aɪ̯l/

## Noun

1. A clear passage running between or through rows of seats.
   - Simple: A clear path that lets people walk between or through rows of seats.
   - _The older carriages had a narrow central aisle that made it hard to get past with luggage._
   - _Latecomers edged along the aisle, searching for empty seats in the darkened theater._
2. A clear corridor in a supermarket, lined on both sides with shelves of goods for sale.
   - Simple: A long path in a supermarket with shelves of things to buy on each side.
   - _Cleaning supplies are at the far end of the aisle, past the paper towels._
   - _The store widened its aisles so that shoppers with carts could pass each other._
3. The path a wedding procession follows through a church or other venue; by extension, marriage itself.
   - Simple: The path a wedding party walks along at a wedding, or marriage itself.
   - _The bride's grandmother wiped away tears as the couple walked back up the aisle._
   - _After a decade of dating, the two of them finally made it to the aisle last spring._
4. In US politics, the figurative divide between the Republican and Democratic parties, each said to sit on its own side. *(US)*
   - Simple: In US politics, the imagined line between Republicans and Democrats.
   - _The senator reached across the aisle to win support for the farm bill._
   - _Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle condemned the attack._
5. A seat beside the aisle on a plane, train, bus, or other public transport.
   - Simple: A seat next to the walkway on a plane, train, or bus.
   - _When the agent asked window or aisle, he said aisle without hesitating._
   - _On long flights she always books an aisle so she can stretch her legs._
6. Any clear path through a space that is otherwise obstructed.
   - Simple: Any open path through a place that is otherwise blocked.
   - _Workers keep a wide aisle open between the pallets so the forklifts can get through._
   - _The ward was packed with beds, leaving only a narrow aisle down the middle._
7. A wing of a building, especially one in a church that is separated from the nave proper by piers.
   - Simple: A side part of a building, especially in a church, set apart from the main area by thick pillars.
   - _The medieval church has a nave with an aisle on either side, divided from it by heavy stone piers._
   - _Memorial plaques to local families cover the walls of both aisles._

## Origin

From Middle English ele, from Middle French aisle ("wing"; modern French aile), from Latin āla, which is further traced to Latin axis. Through the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂eḱs- it is related to English axle and Ancient Greek ἄξων (áxōn).

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/aisle (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).