Dictonary and Thesaurus

Definition of By

(pref.) In the neighborhood of; near or next to; not far from; close to; along with; as, come and sit by me.
(pref.) On; along; in traversing. Compare 5.
(pref.) Near to, while passing; hence, from one to the other side of; past; as, to go by a church.
(pref.) Used in specifying adjacent dimensions; as, a cabin twenty feet by forty.
(pref.) Against.
(pref.) With, as means, way, process, etc.; through means of; with aid of; through; through the act or agency of; as, a city is destroyed by fire; profit is made by commerce; to take by force.
(adv.) Near; in the neighborhood; present; as, there was no person by at the time.
(adv.) Passing near; going past; past; beyond; as, the procession has gone by; a bird flew by.
(adv.) Aside; as, to lay by; to put by.
(a.) Out of the common path; aside; -- used in composition, giving the meaning of something aside, secondary, or incidental, or collateral matter, a thing private or avoiding notice; as, by-line, by-place, by-play, by-street. It was formerly more freely used in composition than it is now; as, by-business, by-concernment, by-design, by-interest, etc.