by

preposition

1》 through the agency or means of.

    ↘indicating how something happens.

2》 indicating a quantity or amount, or the size of a margin.

    ↘identifying a parameter.

    ↘expressing multiplication, especially in dimensions.

3》 indicating the end of a time period.

4》 near to; beside.

    ↘past and beyond.

5》 during.

6》 according to.

7》 used in mild oaths: by God!

adverb so as to go past.

noun (plural byes) variant spelling of bye¹.

Phrases

by and by before long.

by the by (or bye) incidentally.

by and large on the whole. [orig. in naut. use, describing the handling of a ship both to the wind and off it.]

by oneself

1》 alone.

2》 unaided.

by way of see way.

Origin

OE bī, bi, be, of Gmc origin.