by
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
See also .by
Contents |
[edit] English
[edit] Alternative spellings
- bye (archaic for preposition and adverb, not used for abbreviation, preferred for noun and interjection)
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Etymology
From Old English bī
[edit] Preposition
by
- Near or next to.
- The mailbox is by the bus stop.
- At some time before (the given time), or before the end of a given time interval.
- Be back by ten o'clock!
- We will send it by the first week of July.
- Indicates the actor in a clause with its verb in the passive voice Through the action or presence of.
- The matter was decided by the chairman.
- The boat was swamped by the water.
- He was protected by his body armour.
- (Indicates the creator of a work) Existing through the authorship etc of.
- There are many well-known plays by William Shakespeare
- (Indicates the cause of a condition or event) Through the action of, caused by, responsibility for; by dint of.
- 1874 Thomas Hardy, Far From the Madding Crowd, 2005 Barnes & Noble Classics publication of 1912 Wessex edition, p109:
- In other directions the fields and sky were so much of one colour by the snow that it was difficult in a hasty glance to tell whereabouts the horizon occurred [...]
- 1874 Thomas Hardy, Far From the Madding Crowd, 2005 Barnes & Noble Classics publication of 1912 Wessex edition, p109:
- (Indicates a means) Involving/using the means of.
- I avoided the guards by moving only when they weren't looking.
- (Indicates a rule followed) Using the rules or logic of.
- I sorted the items by category.
- (Indicates the amount of some progression) With a change of.
- Our stock is up by ten percent.
- (In the formulae X by X and by Xs, indicates a steady progression, one X after another.)
- We went through the book page by page.
- We crawled forward by inches.
- (Indicates an oath) With the authority of.
- By Jove! I think she's got it!
- By all that is holy, I'll put an end to this.
[edit] Derived terms
terms derived from by (preposition)
[edit] Translations
Near, or next to
|
some time before the given time
indication of passive voice
indicates creator of a work
indicates a means
Indicates a rule followed
Indicating amount of progression
steady progression
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
[edit] Adverb
by
- Along a path which runs by the speaker.
- I watched as it passed by.
[edit] Derived terms
terms derived from by (adverb)
[edit] Translations
along a path
[edit] Adjective
by (not comparable)
|
Positive |
Superlative |
- Out of the way, subsidiary.
[edit] Antonyms
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Noun
|
Singular |
Plural |
by (plural bys)
- (card games) A pass
[edit] Interjection
by
- Alternative spelling of bye.
[edit] Abbreviation
BY
- Belarus, a member state of the United Nations.
- Bavaria, a federal state of Germany.
[edit] Danish
[edit] Etymology
From Old Norse býr (“‘settlement’”).
[edit] Noun
by c. (singular definite byen, plural indefinite byer)
[edit] Related terms
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[edit] Inflection
Inflection of “by”
[edit] Lojban
[edit] Cmavo
by
- letteral for b
[edit] Norwegian
[edit] Noun
by m.
[edit] Verb
by
[edit] Polish
[edit] Pronunciation
- IPA: [bɨ]
[edit] Particle
by
- (always before a verb) a particle used to make conditional mood; would, should
- On by tam nie poszedł. = On nie poszedłby tam. — He would not go there.
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person | bym | byśmy |
| 2nd person | byś | byście |
| 3rd person | by | by |
[edit] Synonyms
- -by (suffix)
[edit] Conjunction
by
[edit] Synonyms
[edit] Swedish
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Noun
| Inflection for by | Singular | Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| common | Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite |
| Nominative | by | byn | byar | byarna |
| Genitive | bys | byns | byars | byarnas |
by c.
[edit] Related terms
- village
- breeze
[edit] West Frisian
[edit] Pronunciation
- IPA: /bεı/
[edit] Preposition
by
- near to
Categories: Old English derivations | English prepositions | English adverbs | English uncomparable adjectives | English adjectives | English nouns | Card games | English interjections | English alternative spellings | English abbreviations, acronyms and initialisms | English abbreviations | 100 English basic words | English two-letter words | da:Old Norse derivations | Danish nouns | Norwegian nouns | Norwegian verbs | Norwegian irregular verbs | Polish particles | Polish conjunctions | Swedish nouns | West Frisian prepositions