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by [ bī ] CORE MEANING: a grammatical word expressing a spatial relationship, indicating that somebody or something is beside or close to somebody or something else
  (prep) standing by the window
(adv) A large crowd of shoppers stood by watching. |
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1. preposition past somebody or something in space: indicates movement past somebody or something, sometimes including a brief stop
(
used following a verb expressing movement
)
He drove by his apartment building.
The server strolled by, pouring us some more coffee.
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2. preposition along: next to or along something
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3. preposition through: passing through something
entering by the back door
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4. preposition before that time: happening or required at or before a particular time
reservations required by Sunday
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5. preposition during: happening during a particular time period
By day he worked in a canning factory.
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6. preposition in measures of: at a rate based on a particular measure such as time, weight, or volume
sold by weight
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7. preposition mathematics indicates factor or divisor: used in multiplication and division to indicate a number or quantity being multiplied, or to indicate the number or quantity that divides another
What is 144 divided by 12?
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8. preposition measurements indicates dimensions: used between the measurements of the dimensions of an object, expressing area or volume
2 feet by 3
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9. preposition measurements differing in amount of: used to indicate an amount, extent, or rate at which something increases, decreases, or differs
Tax rates are to be cut by 0.25 percent.
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10. preposition measurements indicates direction: used to indicate a direction
north by northwest
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11. preposition in amounts of particular size: in groups or amounts of a particular size
Visitors arrived by the truckload.
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12. preposition after same thing: used to link two identical words to indicate a progression or sequence
One by one we told our stories.
You can see an improvement day by day.
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13. preposition indicates cause: used to indicate the person or thing performing an action or causing a situation or reaction
(
used following a passive verb
)
He was hit by a ball.
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14. preposition indicates creator, author, or artist: used to indicate the person who wrote or created something such as a written piece or work of art
written by A. A. Milne
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15. preposition using method or medium: used to indicate the particular mode, method, or action through which something occurs or is done
traveling by ocean liner
She earns a living by playing the harp.
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16. preposition indicates means: used to indicate the action used to achieve something
(
followed by a gerund
)
The key to attracting banks to small locales is by attracting more businesses.
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17. preposition in particular manner: with, in, or through a particular manner of doing something
used by permission of the author
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18. preposition according to unchanging quality: in terms of a particular attribute or function
a teacher by profession and a learner by nature
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19. preposition in compliance with: in order to comply with something, especially the law
By law, patients must have access to their records.
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20. preposition at particular part: at a particular part of something, e.g. a hand or corner
held the dancer by the waist
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21. adverb in name of something sacred: used to indicate something considered holy when making a solemn oath or promise
By all that is sacred, I ask you to stop.
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22. adverb away or aside: into a place for safekeeping for use later
I spent some of the money and put some by for hard times.
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| [ Old English bī< Germanic] |
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by and by after a while (literary)
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all by yourself alone, without any company or help
He did it all by himself.
I don't want to stay here all by myself.
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by the by used to introduce a question or piece of information that is not connected with the subject being discussed
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