by

Universal Words preposition, adverb preposition 1 near sb/sth; at the side of sb/sth; beside sb/sth: a house by the river * The telephone is by the window. * Come and sit by me. 2 used, usually after a passive verb, to show who or what does, creates or causes sth: He was knocked down by a bus. * a play by Ibsen * Who's that book by? * I was frightened by the noise. 3 used for showing how or in what way sth is done: The house is heated by gas. * May I pay by cheque? * I will contact you by letter. * to travel by boat / bus / car / plane * to travel by air / land / sea * Switch it on by pressing this button. 4 used before particular nouns without the, to say that sth happens as a result of sth: They met by chance. * I did it by mistake. * The coroner's verdict was 'death by misadventure'. 5 not later than the time mentioned; before: Can you finish the work by five o'clock? * I'll have it done by tomorrow. * By this time next week we'll be in New York. * He ought to have arrived by now / by this time. * By the time (that) this letter reaches you I will have left the country. 6 past sb/sth: He walked by me without speaking. 7 during sth; in a particular situation: to travel by day / night * We had to work by candlelight. 8 used to show the degree or amount of sth: The bullet missed him by two inches. * House prices went up by 10%. * It would be better by far (= much better) to... 9 from what sth shows or says; according to sth: By my watch it is two o'clock. * I could tell by the look on her face that something terrible had happened. * By law, you are a child until you are 18. 10 used to show the part of sb/sth that sb touches, holds, etc: I took him by the hand. * She seized her by the hair. * Pick it up by the handle! 11 used with the to show the period or quantity used for buying, selling or measuring sth: We rented the car by the day. * They're paid by the hour. * We only sell it by the metre. 12 used to state the rate at which sth happens: They're improving day by day. * We'll do it bit by bit. * The children came in two by two (= in groups of two). 13 used for giving more information about where sb comes from, what sb does, etc: He's German by birth. * They're both doctors by profession. 14 used when swearing to mean 'in the name of': I swear by Almighty God... 15 used to show the measurements of sth: The room measures fifteen feet by twenty feet. 16 used when multiplying or dividing: 6 multiplied by 2 equals 12. * 6 divided by 2 equals 3. IDIOMS by the by / bye = by the way at WAY adverb 1 past: Just drive by. Don't stop. * He hurried by without speaking to me. * Excuse me, I can't get by. * Time goes by so quickly. 2 used to say that sth is saved so that it can be used in the future: I've put some money by for college fees. 3 in order to visit sb for a short time: I'll come by this evening and pick up the books. IDIOMS by and by (old-fashioned) before long; soon: By and by she met an old man with a beard.