baɪ prep., adv., & n. --prep. 1
near,
beside, in
the region of (stand by the
door;
sit by
me;
path by the river). 2
through the
agency,
means, instrumentality, or
causation of (by
proxy;
bought by a
millionaire; a
poem by Donne;
went by
bus; succeeded by persisting;
divide four by two). 3
not later
than; as
soon as (by
next week; by
now; by the
time he arrives). 4 a
past,
beyond (drove by the
church;
came by us). b
passing through;
via (went by Paris). 5 in the circumstances of (by
day; by daylight). 6 to the
extent of (missed by a
foot; better by far). 7
according to; using as a
standard or
unit (judge by appearances;
paid by the hour). 8
with the
succession of (worse by the minute; day by day;
one by one). 9
concerning; in
respect of (did
our duty by
them;
Smith by
name;
all right by me). 10 used in
mild oaths (orig. = as
surely as one believes in) (by
God; by gum;
swear by all
that is sacred). 11 placed
between specified lengths in
two directions (three
feet by two). 12 avoiding, ignoring (pass by
him; passed us by). 13 inclining to (north by north-west). --adv. 1 near (sat by, watching;
lives close by). 2
aside; in
reserve (put ø5 by). 3 past (they marched by). --n. = BYE. øby
and by
before long; eventually. by and
large on the
whole,
everything considered. by the by (or bye)
incidentally, parenthetically. by
oneself 1 a
unaided. b
without prompting. 2
alone; without
company. [OE
bi, bi, be f. Gmc]
