I. |bī also especially bef cons bə preposition
Etymology: Middle English, preposition & adverb, from Old English be, bī, preposition, & bī, adverb, by, near; akin to Old High German bī by, near, Gothic bi by, about, at, Latin ambi-, amb- on both sides, around, Greek amphi around, Sanskrit abhi to, toward
1.
a. : in proximity to : in the immediate neighborhood of — used of place or position:
(1) : at the side or edge of : near
the tree by the fence
a cottage by the sea
sat by him on the train
(2) : close to or on (one's person) : within easy reach of : about
kept the rabbit's foot by him day and night
b. : in the general region of
they commonly commanded both by sea and land — John & William Langhorne
2.
a. : along , over , through
the family drove to the farm by the old highway
came from the garden by a path
entered the house by the back door
(1) : along the surface or through the medium of
went to Europe by water and returned by air
(2) : in passing along
was cozened by the way and lost all my money — Shakespeare
b.
(1) now dialect : at or to the home of
am going by Grandma for a week
(2) : at or into (as another's house) on passing
he came by the house for a few minutes yesterday
c. : in the direction of : toward — used especially of points of the compass
sailed north by east
d. : into the presence of : close to
we are not to stay together but to come by him where he stands — Shakespeare
e. : into the vicinity of and beyond : past
drove rapidly by the church
went by him without saying a word
3.
a. : during the course of : within the period of
worked by day and studied by night
b. archaic : for a specified period of time — used especially in the phrase by the space of
by the space of three years I ceased not to warn everyone — Acts 20:31 (Authorized Version)
c. : not later than (a specified time) : at or before
expected to arrive by two o'clock
ought to be here by now
d. dialect England : after
seventeen minutes by noon
4.
a. : through the means or instrumentality of
put to death by the sword
a town taken by force
b. : through the direct agency of
put to death by the executioner
ordered by the captain to stand guard
a poem written by Keats
c. : through the medium of (an indirect or subordinate agent)
represented by his deputy
votes by proxy
d. : through the work or operation of (as natural agencies)
changes wrought by time
eaten away by corrosion
came to the right house by luck
e.
(1) : born or begot of
had two sons by his first wife
children by her second husband
(2) in animal breeding : sired by
f. : in consequence of : as a result of : through
blunders of foreign policy by which Austria declined … from a great and stable power to a satellite — Hugh Seton-Watson
g. — used as a function word to indicate something that forms an accompanying setting or condition
ate by candlelight
or that constitutes a manner
began by criticizing the style of the poem
often with an added sense of means
the case went by default
5. : with the witness or sanction of : in the presence of — used especially in oaths
by heaven I'll know thy thoughts — Shakespeare
swear by all that is holy
6.
a. : in conformity or harmony with (as a standard of action)
judged them by our customs
he plays by the rules
b. : according to — used especially with verbs of calling and naming
call him by whatever name you choose
c. : according to (as a unit of measurement)
sold beef by the pound
works by the hour
workers paid by the piece
7.
a. : on behalf of — used especially to indicate direction of effort
did his duty by his country
did his best by his family
b. : on the basis of (as a distinction or classification) : in the matter of : with respect to
a Kansan by birth
a lawyer by profession
8.
a. : in or to the amount or extent of — used in expressions involving comparison to indicate an amount or degree of excess or increase or of deficiency or decrease especially in space, time, quantity, or weight
won the race by two yards
missed the train by five minutes
carried his ward by 80 votes
lighter by six pounds
better by far
b. now chiefly Scotland : in comparison with : beside
was but as a fly by an eagle — Shakespeare
9. — used as a function word to indicate a succession of units or groups of the same class
they left the party two by two
the snow fell flake by flake
count by 5s to 100
he succeeded little by little
10.
a. chiefly Scotland : in addition to : over and above : besides
few folks ken o' this place … there's just twa living by myself — Sir Walter Scott
b. now chiefly Scotland : outside the range or sphere of : beyond — often used in combination with an adjective or adverb
my father was a man of by -ordinary mildness — Margaret Oliphant
11.
a. now chiefly Scotland : contrary to : despite
I could not deny him but was forced by myself to give — Samuel Pepys
b. obsolete : against
for I know nothing by myself — 1 Cor 4:4 (Authorized Version)
12.
a. — used as a function word in multiplication to connect multiplicand and multiplier
multiply 15 by 12
b. — used as a function word to indicate two or more dimensions in measurements
a room 20 feet by 12
— compare x IV
13. : in the opinion of : from the point of view of
it's O.K. by me
•
- by oneself
- by the bye
II. |bī adverb
Etymology: Middle English, preposition & adverb
1.
a. : near at hand : in the immediate neighborhood
they live close by
— often used in combination with a noun
others of the … by -sitters put various questions — Nathaniel Hawthorne
b. : at or to another's home
he stopped by for a few minutes yesterday
2. : to and beyond a point near at hand : past
the parade had gone by when I reached the corner
— often used in combination with a noun
each window has blinds to prevent the by -passers from looking in — Robert Southey
3.
a. : off to one side : aside , away
put her sewing by when he came in
b. : in reserve for future use : in store
had laid enough by for his old age
4. archaic : over and above : besides
5. : in the past
in days gone by
III. adjective
or bye “
Etymology: Middle English by, from by, adverb
1. : aside especially in position or direction : out of the way : off the beaten track
the mule preferred the high road to the by one — Robert Southey
nothing can be more by and unfrequented — Samuel Richardson
— often used in combination with a noun
would slip into the next shop or by -passage to avoid them — John Dryden
2. : aside especially in purpose or importance : incidental , secondary
the by effect may be unfavorable — William Paley
too serious a work to be undertaken in a by way — John Ruskin
— often used in combination with a noun
the by- productions of a busy man — J.R.Lowell
3. chiefly Scotland : done with : past , over
IV. noun
or bye “
( plural byes )
: something of secondary importance : a side issue — now used chiefly in the phrase by the by
V.
intransitive verb byed ; byed ; bying ; bys ˈbīz
Etymology: probably from by, adverb
: pass 12a(1)
VI. noun
( plural bys ˈbīz)
Etymology: probably from by, adverb
: a pass in certain card games (as bridge)
VII.
or bye
Etymology: by shortening
: good-bye — used interjectionally often with now
by now