Definitions
1.PrepositionNear or next to."The mailbox is by the bus stop."
2.PrepositionFrom one side of something to the other, passing close by; past."The stream runs by our back door.; He ran straight by me."
3.PrepositionNot later than (the given time); not later than the end of (the given time interval)."Be back by ten o'clock!.; We'll find someone by the end of March.; I'll have been cycling for longer than two hours by lunchtime."
4.PrepositionIndicates the person or thing that does or causes something: Through the action or presence of.
Following a passive verb."The matter was decided by the chairman.; The boat was swamped by the water.; He was protected by his body armour.; There was a call by the unions for a 30% pay rise.; I was aghast by what I saw."
5.PrepositionFollowing a passive verb."The matter was decided by the chairman.; The boat was swamped by the water.; He was protected by his body armour."
6.PrepositionFollowing a noun."There was a call by the unions for a 30% pay rise."
7.PrepositionFollowing an adjective."I was aghast by what I saw."
8.PrepositionIndicates the creator of a work: Existing through the authorship etc. of."There are many well-known plays by William Shakespeare"
9.PrepositionIndicates a means of achieving something: Involving/using the means of."I'd know you anywhere by your gravelly voice.; I avoided the guards by moving only when they weren't looking.; By Pythagoras' theorem, we can calculate the length of the hypotenuse.; We went by bus.; I discovered it by chance.; By 'maybe' she means 'no'.; The electricity was cut off, so we had to read by candlelight."
10.PrepositionIndicates an authority according to which something is done."By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife.; By Jove! I think she's got it!; By all that is holy, I'll put an end to this."
11.PrepositionInvokes an authority in an oath."By Jove! I think she's got it!; By all that is holy, I'll put an end to this."
12.PrepositionIndicates a means of classification or organisation."I sorted the items by category.; Table 1 shows details of our employees broken down by sex and age."
13.PrepositionIndicates the amount of change, difference or discrepancy"Our stock is up by ten percent.; We won by six goals to three.; His date of birth was wrong by ten years."
14.PrepositionIn 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."
15.Preposition.mw-parser-output .object-usage-tag{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output .deprecated{color:var(--wikt-palette-grey-lime-8,olivedrab)}[with the] Acted on in units of the specified size or measure. (Sometimes hyperbolically)"sold by the yard; cheaper if bought by the gross; While sitting listening to the radio by the hour, she can drink brandy by the bucketful!; He sits listening to the radio by the hour."
16.PrepositionPer; with or in proportion to each."His health was deteriorating by the day.; The pickers are paid by the fortnight by the American bushel."
17.PrepositionIndicates a referenced source: According to."He cheated by his own admission.; By my reckoning, we should be nearly there."
18.PrepositionUsed to separate dimensions when describing the size of something."It is easy to invert a 2-by-2 matrix.; The room was about 4 foot by 6 foot.; The bricks used to build the wall measured 10 by 20 by 30 cm."
19.Prepositionmultiplied by or divided by
20.PrepositionDesignates a horse's sire (“male parent”)."She's a lovely little filly, by Big Lad, out of Damsel in Distress."
21.PrepositionAt; with; among."Are you eating by Rabbi Fischer? (at the house of); By Chabad, it's different."
22.Prepositionin a windward direction, sailing near to the direction from which the wind is blowing
23.AdverbAlong a path which runs past someone or something."I watched the parade as it passed by."
24.AdverbIn the vicinity, near."There was a shepherd close by."
25.AdverbTo or at a place, as a residence or place of business."I'll stop by on my way home from work.; We're right near the lifeguard station. Come by before you leave."
26.AdverbAside, away."The women spent much time after harvest putting jams by for winter and spring."
27.AdverbBeyond or past a certain point."I'll somehow manage to get by."
28.AdjectiveOut of the way, off to one side."a by path; a by room"
29.AdjectiveSubsidiary, incidental."by catch; a by issue"
30.NounAlternative form of bye.
31.InterjectionDated form of bye (“goodbye”).