1. near in space; beside; at stand by the wall
2. 1. in or during the time of travel by night
   2. not later than be back by ten o'clock
3. 1. via; through, along, or over driving home by the dirt road
   2. past; beyond to march by the reviewing stand
   3. to or within a distance of missed the putt by a foot
4. toward north by northwest
5. in behalf of he did well by his friends
6. with respect to (a given category) a lawyer by profession
7. 1. through the means, work, or operations of a trip by train, a pact reached by negotiation, made by craftsmen, poems (written) by Poe
   2. through the activity or effort of: used before gerunds he won by practicing daily
8. produced with (the other parent) a son by my first husband
9. following in series marching two by two
10. 1. with the authority or sanction of by your leave
    2. according to; in a manner consistent with playing by the rules
    3. in the name of: used in oaths by all that's holy
    4. Informal in the opinion of the plans are OK by me
11. 1. in the amount of, or to the extent or degree of apples by the peck
    2. at the rate or pace of growing dark by degrees
    3. and in another dimension two feet by four feet
12. using (the given number) as multiplier or divisor

Etymology: ME by, bi, be < OE be (unstressed), bi (stressed) < Gmc *bi, around, about, akin to Gr amphi, L ambi: see by-, be; orig. adv. of place, meaning “beside, near,” but already highly specialized prep. in OE

adverb

1. close at hand; near stand by
2. away; aside we have put money by
3. close in passing; past the car sped by
4. ☆ at the place specified or understood stop by on your way home

adjective, noun