Definition of 'by'

Word Frequency

by

pronunciation note: The preposition is pronounced (baɪ ). The adverb is pronounced (baɪ ).In addition to the uses shown below, by is used in phrasal verbs such as 'abide by', 'put by', and 'stand by'.

1. preposition

If something is done by a person or thing, that person or thing does it.

The feast was served by his mother and sisters.

I was amazed by their discourtesy and lack of professionalism.

The town has been under attack by rebel groups for a week now.

Synonyms: through, via, with the help of, by virtue of More Synonyms of by

2. preposition

If you say that something such as a book, a piece of music, or a painting is by a particular person, you mean that this person wrote it or created it.

...a painting by Van Gogh.

He read Enobarbus's speech from Anthony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare.

3. preposition

If you do something by a particular means, you do it using that thing.

We'll be travelling by car.

...dinners by candlelight.

4. preposition [PREP v-ing]

If you achieve one thing by doing another thing, your action enables you to achieve the first thing.

Make the sauce by boiling the cream and stock together in a pan.

The all-female yacht crew made history by becoming the first to sail round the world.

By using the air ambulance to transport patients, they can save up to £15,000 per patient.

5. preposition

You use by in phrases such as 'by chance' or 'by accident' to indicate whether or not an event was planned.

I met him by chance out walking yesterday.

He opened Ingrid's letter by mistake.

Whether by design or accident his timing was perfect.

6. preposition

If someone is a particular type of person by nature, by profession, or by birth, they are that type of person because of their nature, their profession, or the family they were born into.

I am certainly lucky to have a kind wife who is loving by nature.

She's a nurse by profession and now runs a counselling service for women.

Her parents were in fact American by birth.

7. preposition

If something must be done by law, it happens according to the law. If something is the case by particular standards, it is the case according to the standards.

Pharmacists are required by law to give the medicine prescribed by the doctor.

...evening wear that was discreet by his standards.

8. preposition

If you say what someone means by a particular word or expression, you are saying what they intend the word or expression to refer to.

Stella knew what he meant by 'start again'.

'You're unbelievably lucky'—'What do you mean by that?'

9. preposition

If you hold someone or something by a particular part of them, you hold that part.

He caught her by the shoulder and turned her around.

She was led by the arm to a small room at the far end of the corridor.

He picked up the photocopy by one corner and put it in his wallet.

10. preposition

Someone or something that is by something else is beside it and close to it.

Judith was sitting in a rocking-chair by the window.

They stood by the side of the road.

Emma was by the door.

Synonyms: near, past, along, close to More Synonyms of by

By is also an adverb.

Large numbers of security police stood by.

11. preposition

If a person or vehicle goes by you, they move past you without stopping.

A few cars passed close by me.

He kept walking and passed by me on his side of the street.

By is also an adverb.

The bomb went off as a police patrol went by.

12. preposition

If you stop by a place, you visit it for a short time.

We had made arrangements to stop by her house in Pacific Grove.

Daddy called and asked me to drop by his office.

By is also an adverb.

I'll stop by after dinner and we'll have that talk.

13. preposition

If something happens by a particular time, it happens at or before that time.

By eight o'clock he had arrived at my hotel.

We all knew by then that the affair was practically over.

Synonyms: before, prior to, earlier than, in advance of More Synonyms of by

14. preposition

If you do something by day, you do it during the day. If you do it by night, you do it during the night.

By day a woman could safely walk the streets, but at night the pavements became dangerous.

She had no wish to hurry alone through the streets of London by night.

15. preposition

In arithmetic, you use by before the second number in a multiplication or division sum.

...an apparent annual rate of 22.8 per cent (1.9 multiplied by 12).

230cm divided by 22cm is 10.45cm.

16. preposition

You use by to talk about measurements of area. For example, if a room is twenty feet by fourteen feet, it measures twenty feet in one direction and fourteen feet in the other direction.

Three prisoners were sharing one small cell 3 metres by 2 metres.

17. preposition

If something increases or decreases by a particular amount, that amount is gained or lost.

Violent crime has increased by 10 percent since last year.

Their pay has been cut by one-third.

18. preposition

Things that are made or sold by the million or by the dozen are made or sold in those quantities.

Parcels arrived by the dozen from America.

Liberty fabrics, both for furnishing and for dress-making, are sold by the metre.

19. preposition

You use by in expressions such as ' minute by minute' and ' drop by drop' to talk about things that happen gradually, not all at once.

His father began to lose his memory bit by bit, becoming increasingly forgetful.

20.

See by yourself

21.

See by yourself

More Synonyms of by

by in British English 1

(baɪ )

preposition

used to indicate the agent after a passive verb

seeds eaten by the birds

used to indicate the person responsible for a creative work

this song is by Schubert

via; through

enter by the back door

followed by a gerund to indicate a means used

he frightened her by hiding behind the door

beside; next to; near

a tree by the house

passing the position of; past

he drove by the old cottage

not later than; before

return the books by Tuesday

used to indicate extent, after a comparative

it is hotter by five degrees than it was yesterday

(esp in oaths) invoking the name of

I swear by all the gods

10.

multiplied by

four by three equals twelve

11. (in habitual sentences)

during the passing of (esp in the phrases by day, by night)

12.

placed between measurements of the various dimensions of something

a plank fourteen inches by seven

adverb

13.

near

the house is close by

14.

away; aside

he put some money by each week for savings

15.

passing a point near something; past

he drove by

16. Scottish

past; over and done with

that's all by now

17. Scottish

aside; behind one

you should put that by for later

nounWord forms: plural byes

18. a variant spelling of bye1

Word origin

Old English bī; related to Gothic bi, Old High German bī, Sanskrit abhi to, towards

Word Frequency

by in British English 2

the internet domain name for

Belarus

Word Frequency

by in American English

(baɪ )

preposition

near in space; beside; at

stand by the wall

in or during the time of

travel by night

not later than

be back by ten o'clock

via; through, along, or over

driving home by the dirt road

past; beyond

to march by the reviewing stand

to or within a distance of

missed the putt by a foot

toward

north by northwest

in behalf of

he did well by his friends

with respect to (a given category)

a lawyer by profession

through the means, work, or operations of

a trip by train, a pact reached by negotiation, made by craftsmen, poems (written) by Poe

through the activity or effort of

used before gerunds

he won by practicing daily

produced with (the other parent)

a son by my first husband

following in series

marching two by two

10.

with the authority or sanction of

by your leave

according to; in a manner consistent with

playing by the rules

in the name of

used in oaths

by all that's holy

d. Informal

in the opinion of

the plans are OK by me

11.

in the amount of, or to the extent or degree of

apples by the peck

at the rate or pace of

growing dark by degrees

and in another dimension

two feet by four feet

12.

using (the given number) as multiplier or divisor

adverb

13.

close at hand; near

stand by

14.

away; aside

we have put money by

15.

close in passing; past

the car sped by

16. US

at the place specified or understood

stop by on your way home

adjective, noun

17. alt. sp. of

bye

Idioms:

Word origin

ME by, bi, be < OE be (unstressed), bi (stressed) < Gmc *bi, around, about, akin to Gr amphi, L ambi: see by-, be; orig. adv. of place, meaning “beside, near,” but already highly specialized prep. in OE

Example sentences including
by

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I waited behind a tree by the road nearby that cuts through the park.She made no comment on arrival at Heathrow, where she was picked up by a member of the family.