noun.
A town; habitation; dwelling: now extant only in place-names, especially in the north of England, as in Derby (Anglo-Saxon Deóra bȳ, literally ‘dwelling of deer’), Whitby, etc.
An obsolete variant of bi-, be-.
An obsolete spelling of buy.
noun.
A thing not directly aimed at; something not the immediate object of regard: as, by the by (that is, by the way, in passing).
noun.
The condition of being odd, as opposed to even; the state of having no competitor in a contest where several are engaged in pairs.
noun.
In cricket, a run made on a ball not struck by the batsman, but which the wicket-keeper has failed to stop.
noun.
In the game of hide-and-seek, the goal: as, to touch the by.
noun.
A ring; a bracelet.
An obsolete variant of be.
An obsolete variant of bi-, be- (unaccented). See be-.
The modern form of bi-, be-, under the accent, as in byspell, byword, etc.
Near; close to; beside; with; about: as, sit by me; the house stands by a river.
Near, or up to and beyond, with reference to motion; past: as, to move or go by a church.
Along (in direction or progress); in or through (the course of); over or alongside of: as, to approach a town by the highway.
On; upon; especially, through or on as a means of conveyance: as, he journeyed both by water and by rail.
Through. Through the action or operation of, as the immediate agent or the producing or instigating cause: as, the empire founded by Napoleon; a novel written by Cooper; the victories gained by Nelson; a picture painted by Rubens.
With the perception of, as the subject or recipient of the action or feeling: as, he died regretted by all who knew him; this was felt by them to be an intentional slight. Through the means or agency of, as the intermediate agent or instrument: as, the city was destroyed by fire.
Through the use of; with the aid of, as means: as, to take by force; by your leave.
In consequence of; by virtue of.
In adjuration: Before; in the presence of; with the witness of; with regard to things, in view of, in consideration of: followed by the name of the being or thing appealed to as sanction: as, I appeal to you by all that is sacred.
According to; by direction, authority, example, or evidence of: as, this appears by his own account; it is ten o'clock by my watch; these are good rules to live by.
In the measure or quantity of; in the terms of: as, to sell cloth by the yard, milk by the quart, eggs by the dozen, beef by the pound; to board by the week.
In comparison: To the extent of: noting mensuration or the measure or ratio of excess or inferiority: as, largerby a half; older by five years; to lessen by a third.