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Tin Pan Alley
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5 dictionary results for: Tin Pan Alley
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

Tin Pan Alley

 
–noun
1. the district of a city, esp. New York City, where most of the popular music is published.
2. the composers or publishers of popular music as a group.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Tin Pan Alley     (tĭn)  Pronunciation Key 
n.  
  1. A district associated with musicians, composers, and publishers of popular music.
  2. The publishers and composers of popular music considered as a group.

[Probably from tin pan, tinny piano + alley1 (from the cheap pianos associated with music publishers' offices).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Tin Pan Alley 
"hit song writing business," 1908, from tin pan, slang for "a decrepit piano" (1882). The original one was 28th Street in New York City, home to many music publishing houses.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This
tin pan alley

noun
a city district (originally in New York) where composers and publishers of popular music do business 

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition - Cite This Source - Share This
Tin Pan Alley

A reference to the popular music industry in the United States; the term is not used as much today as it was a generation or two ago.

Note: Tin Pan Alley is often associated with songwriters who are more interested in making money off their songs than in producing high-quality music.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Large Variety of High-End Cookware FREE Shipping on Orders Over $100
www.HeritageMint.com
Tin Pans
Tin Pans Online. Shop Target.com.
www.Target.com
Valley Pan
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BizRate.com