Dictionary

aisle en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /aɪ̯l/ (UK, US)
• (US) audio
• īl (UK, US)

Etymology

From Middle English ele, from Anglo-Norman ele (“wing”) (Modern French aile), from Latin āla (whence English ala). Further from Latin axis (whence English axis, atelier). Via Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱs- cognate with English axle, Ancient Greek ἄξων (áxōn) (whence English axo-, axon). The modern pronunciation has been influenced by English isle, whence the obsolete form isle; the modern spelling reflects further modification of this form after modern French aile.

Meanings

1. A wing of a building, notably in a church separated from the nave proper by piers.
   • In one of the aisles there was an elaborately carved confessional box and I recognised the village priest in his heavy mountain boots and black cassock as he entered it and drew the dark velvet curtains behind him. 1956, Delano Ames, chapter 13, in Crime out of Mind:
   • Hester Earle and Violet Wayne were moving about the aisle with bundles of wheat-ears and streamers of ivy, for the harvest thanksgiving was shortly to be celebrated, while the vicar stood waiting for their directions on the chancel steps with a great handful of crimson gladioli. 1907 January, Harold Bindloss, chapter 20, in The Dust of Conflict, 1st Canadian edition, Toronto, Ont.: McLeod & Allen, →OCLC:
2. A clear path/passage through rows of seating.
   • But the design of the '730s' wasn't just about the seating formation. The Metro-style walkthrough interior was chosen because it is much more spacious than the '323s', where the interconnecting doors between carriages, narrow central aisle, and cramped areas by the passenger doors had been deemed particularly constraining. 2025 April 16, Pip Dunn, “The future is orange....”, in RAIL, number 1033, page 53:
3. A clear corridor in a supermarket with shelves on both sides containing goods for sale.
4. Any path through an otherwise obstructed space.
   • It is realised that the old Pullman standard sleeper, with its convertible "sections", each containing upper and lower berths, and with no greater privacy at night than the curtains drawn along both sides of a middle aisle, has had its day. 1944 November and December, “"Duplex Roomette" Sleeping Cars”, in Railway Magazine, page 324:
5. Seat in public transport, such as a plane, train or bus, that's beside the aisle.
   • Do you want to seat window or aisle?
6. (US) An idiomatic divide between the Republican Party and the Democratic Party, who are said to be on two sides of the aisle.
7. The path of a wedding procession in a church or other venue; (by extension, metonymic) marriage.
   • You ask her if she loves you, she answers, "I do" / Your heart starts glowing inside / And then you will know she is just for you / While each step, draws you closer to the aisle 1957, The Five Satins, “To the Aisle”:

Forms

Antonyms

window seat (antonym(s) of “seat on the aisle side”) · window (antonym(s) of “seat on the aisle side”)

Deriveds

aisleless (Terms derived from aisle (noun)) · roll in the aisles (Terms derived from aisle (noun)) · aisle sitter (Terms derived from aisle (noun)) · cross the aisle (Terms derived from aisle (noun)) · reach across the aisle (Terms derived from aisle (noun)) · up the aisle (Terms derived from aisle (noun)) · cross aisle (Terms derived from aisle (noun)) · cleanup on aisle (Terms derived from aisle (noun)) · aisleway (Terms derived from aisle (noun)) · walk down the aisle (Terms derived from aisle (noun)) · aisle seat (Terms derived from aisle (noun)) · roll in the aisle (Terms derived from aisle (noun)) · middle-aisle it (Terms derived from aisle (noun)) · aisled (Terms derived from aisle (noun))

Synonyms

aisle seat (seat beside an aisle) · isle (obsolete spelling)

Translations (93)

oc seccion (corridor in a supermarket) · cmn 走道 (clear path through rows of seating) · ru прохо́д (clear path through rows of seating) · sl prehod (clear path through rows of seating) · uk прохі́д (corridor in a supermarket) · sv genomgång (corridor in a supermarket) · sv gång (clear path through rows of seating) · de Durchgang (any path through obstructed space) · ga taobhroinn (wing of a building, notably in a church) · gl engrobia (any path through obstructed space) · fi käytävä (clear path through rows of seating) · nl vleugel (wing of a building, notably in a church) · ru прохо́д (any path through obstructed space) · it corridoio (seat beside the aisle in common transport) · pl przejście (clear path through rows of seating) · it corridoio (clear path through rows of seating) · es pasillo (corridor in a supermarket) · ca nau (wing of a building, notably in a church) · gl pasadoiro (clear path through rows of seating) · ro raion (corridor in a supermarket) · fi käytäväpaikka (seat beside the aisle in common transport) · cs ulička (corridor in a supermarket) · el διάδρομος (corridor in a supermarket) · cs ulička (clear path through rows of seating) · fi hyllyväli (corridor in a supermarket) · gl ozca (any path through obstructed space) · sk loď (wing of a building, notably in a church) · fi käytävä (any path through obstructed space) · es nave (wing of a building, notably in a church) · nl gangpad (corridor in a supermarket) · mi kauhanganui (clear path through rows of seating) · pt nave (wing of a building, notably in a church) · nl zijbeuk (wing of a building, notably in a church) · mi kauhanganui (corridor in a supermarket) · it collaterale (wing of a building, notably in a church) · ja 通路 (clear path through rows of seating) · sl prehod (any path through obstructed space) · fa راهرو (corridor in a supermarket) · pt passagem (any path through obstructed space) · ru прохо́д (corridor in a supermarket) · tr koridor kenarı (seat beside the aisle in common transport) · uk бокови́й неф (wing of a building, notably in a church) · mk ко́раб (wing of a building, notably in a church) · fa راهرو (clear path through rows of seating) · sv mittgång (clear path through rows of seating) · it passaggio obbligato (any path through obstructed space) · bg проход (any path through obstructed space) · ru приде́л (wing of a building, notably in a church) · pl alejka (corridor in a supermarket) · gl deambulatorio (wing of a building, notably in a church) · es pasillo (clear path through rows of seating) · cmn 過道 /过道 (clear path through rows of seating) · ko 통로 (clear path through rows of seating) · ca passadís (corridor in a supermarket) · fi siipi (wing of a building, notably in a church) · mk ред (corridor in a supermarket) · tr reyon (corridor in a supermarket) · de Gang (clear path through rows of seating) · sv gång (corridor in a supermarket) · fi käytävä (corridor in a supermarket) · cy ael (clear path through rows of seating) · fr côté couloir (seat beside the aisle in common transport) · ca passadís (clear path through rows of seating) · pl przejście (any path through obstructed space) · nl doorgang (any path through obstructed space) · uk прохі́д (any path through obstructed space) · de Seitenschiff (wing of a building, notably in a church) · de Gang (corridor in a supermarket) · pt corredor (clear path through rows of seating) · gl vieiro (any path through obstructed space) · it corsia (corridor in a supermarket) · it navata laterale (wing of a building, notably in a church) · nl gangpad (clear path through rows of seating) · pt corredor (corridor in a supermarket) · es paso (any path through obstructed space) · fr couloir (seat beside the aisle in common transport) · it passaggio (any path through obstructed space) · uk прохід (clear path through rows of seating) · gl caneiro (any path through obstructed space) · it corridoio (wing of a building, notably in a church) · ru прое́зд (any path through obstructed space) · fr rayon (corridor in a supermarket) · gl corredor (corridor in a supermarket) · sl ladja (wing of a building, notably in a church) · pl nawa boczna (wing of a building, notably in a church) · ga taobhroinn (clear path through rows of seating) · ca corredor (clear path through rows of seating) · cmn 通路 (clear path through rows of seating) · de Gang (any path through obstructed space) · fi sakara (wing of a building, notably in a church) · sc passadissu (clear path through rows of seating) · enm ele (wing of a building, notably in a church) · fr allée (clear path through rows of seating)