Definition:
- (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.
Compare by with other words:
along vs. by
away vs. by
by vs. take
by vs. content
by vs. forby
besides vs. by
by vs. fence
by vs. under
by vs. within
by vs. while
according vs. by
by vs. since
by vs. form
by vs. using
between vs. by
buy vs. by
by vs. via
by vs. per
by vs. for
by vs. over
by vs. till
by vs. from
by vs. until
by vs. elapse
by vs. through
by vs. bystander
by vs. principal
by vs. main
by vs. vicinity
by vs. light
by vs. source
by vs. bye
by vs. next
before vs. by
by vs. chance
by vs. with
by vs. near
by vs. byway
by vs. pass
by vs. oath
by vs. byroad