by
English meaning: By
Definition
Beside something, or used to show who did or how something was done.
Example
“The painting was made by a child.”
Another example: “By the way, did you remember to lock the front door?”
Usage — When, Where & How
A core everyday preposition with many senses: beside ('by the door'), agent ('written by her'), means ('by car'), time deadline ('by noon'), and measurement ('bigger by half'). One of the most frequent and versatile prepositions.
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
From Old English 'bi', meaning 'near' or 'about'.
Related Words
Common Collocations
- by the way
- by car
- step by step
- by now
- stand by
Word Forms
by (prep/adv)
Word Tools
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
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Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B