"back lane" means: An alleyway that runs behind a row of houses, or between rows of houses.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
back lane
(British, Canadian) An alleyway that runs behind a row of houses, or between rows of houses.
Definitions
(British, Canadian) An alleyway that runs behind a row of houses, or between rows of houses.
"back lane" means: An alleyway that runs behind a row of houses, or between rows of houses.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"back lane" means: An alleyway that runs behind a row of houses, or between rows of houses.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (British) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang
UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
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Other words near "back lane" (B)
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Related terms
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Semantically related
- back alley82%
An alleyway that runs behind a row of houses, or between rows of houses.
- laneway72%
(Canada, Scotland, Ireland, Australia) A narrow roadway; a lane.
- laneway70%
A narrow roadway; a lane
- back alley69%
(slang, euphemism) The anus.
- laneway house69%
(Canada) A detached secondary suite typically built into a pre-existing lot, usually in the backyard and opening onto the back lane.