Whereby

adv. [f. WHERE 15 + BY prep.]

  I.  1. interrog. a. By, beside, or near what? in what direction? b. By what means? how? (BY 29, 30.) † c. For what reason? why? (BY 36).

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 7801. Þat þai bath er slain, quar-bi Wat þou it es sua?

c. 1350.  Will. Palerne, 2256. Wharbi seistow so so þe god help?

1377.  Langl., P. Pl., B. X. 436. Wherby wote men which is whyte if alle þinge blake were?

a. 1450.  Myrc, Par. Pr., 4. In-to þe dyche þey fallen boo, For þey ne sen whare by to go.

1470–85.  Malory, Arthur, VIII. xvi. 297. Be ye a knyght of Cornewaile? where by aske ye hit? said sir Tristram.

1526.  Tindale, Luke i. 18. Wherby shall I knowe this?

1604.  Shaks., Oth., III. i. 9. Clo. Thereby hangs a tale. Mus. Whereby hangs a tale, sir?

1755.  Johnson, s.v., Whereby wilt thou accomplish thy design?

  II.  rel. 2. By means of or by the agency of which; from which (as a source of information); according to which, in the matter of which, etc.

c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 81. We wolden sen sum fortocne of þe, Warbi we mihten cnowen ȝif it soð were þat þu seist.

c. 1250.  Gen. & Ex., 573. Mete quorbi ðei miȝten liuen.

1377.  Langl., P. Pl., B. XIV. 40. Lyflode … Wher-of or wherfore or where-by to lybbe.

1390.  Gower, Conf., II. 294. A staf, wherby, he seide, he wolde That Adrian him scholde holde.

c. 1450.  Mirk’s Festial, 195. Summe spyritual visyon wherby þat he myȝt haue ben confortyd yn sowle.

1450–1520.  Myrr. Our Ladye, II. 234. A starre of Iacob wherby ys vnderstonde oure lorde iesu cryste.

1560.  Bible (Geneva), Jer. xxxiii. 8. I will cleanse them from all their iniquitie, whereby they haue sinned against me.

1584.  J. Melvill, Autob. & Diary (Wodrow Soc.), 192. The absolut power, wharbe … the haill privileges of the thrie Esteates of the Realme is weakned.

1662.  Stillingfl., Orig. Sacræ, II. iii. § 3. The rationall evidence of that divine authority whereby Moses acted.

1667.  Milton, P. L., V. 411. Every lower facultie Of sense, whereby they hear, see, smell, touch, taste.

1697.  in Col. Rec. Pennsylv., I. 516. His Return of rep[re]sentatives for Council was produced, qrby it appeared [etc.].

1709.  Berkeley, Th. Vision, § 61. Stated Lengths, whereby we measure Objects.

1794.  R. J. Sulivan, View Nat., II. 92. An universal plastic power, whereby every body in nature receives its … specific form.

1883.  Whitelaw, Sophocles, Ajax, 1025. This … sword-point—this whereby Ebbed out thy life.

1918.  Times Lit. Suppl., 14 March, 122/2. There is no convention in war whereby the loser can convert disaster into stalemate.

  3.  In consequence of, as a result of, or owing to which; from which (as a cause or reason); wherefore; sometimes practically equivalent to ‘so that,’ ‘in order that.’ Obs. exc. dial.

c. 1380.  Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 310. Þise men lousen crist þat maken hise membris heere special patrouns, & leuen to haue crist oonliche heere patroun, werbi þei louen lasse crist.

1523.  Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. c. 49 b/1. The table rounde, wherby sprange the fame of so many noble knightes through out all the worlde.

1526.  Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 1 b. It was put in to my mynde to drawe it in the englysshe tonge, wherby it myght be the more accepte to many.

1596.  Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., V. i. 67. We were inforc’d for safety sake, to … raise this present Head, Whereby we stand opposed by such meanes As you your selfe haue forg’d against your selfe.

1632.  Lithgow, Trav., V. 232. Wee buried the slayne people in deep graues, whereby Iackals should not open vp their graues.

1678.  Wanley, Wond. Lit. World, V. ii. § 81. 472/2. He was suddenly seised with a Cancer in the Reins of his back, whereby he rotted above ground.

1844.  Hood, Univ. Feud, 105.

1890.  ‘R. Boldrewood,’ Col. Reformer, xv. I ought to be … going peacefully to bed, whereby I should wake up with a clear head.

  b.  Upon which, whereupon. dial. ? Obs.

1597.  Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., II. i. 104. Goodwife Keech … telling vs she had a good dish of Prawnes; whereby y^u didst desire to eat some: whereby I told thee they were ill for a greene wound.

1748.  Smollett, Rod. Rand., xxiv. Whereby he told the captain that … he would heave him overboard. Ibid. We heard firing, whereby we made for the place.

  4.  Beside or near which; along, through, or over which. Now rare.

1297.  R. Glouc. (Rolls), 21. Wateres … Ȝware bi þe ssipes mowe come fram þe se.

14[?].  Master of Game, xix. (MS. Digby 182). A kenell shulde haue a gutter or two, wherby alle þe pisse of þe houndes … may renne oute.

1586.  Lloyd, Pilgr. Princes, 154 b. Hee … hideth him selfe vnder some … rocke, or any other place, whereby hee semeth to bee.

1595.  Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., V. I. 293. He occupies and standes in a way quhairby the men of weir fled.

1818.  Byron, Ch. Har., IV. xxxiii. The brawling brook, where-by … glide the sauntering hours with a calm languor.

1847.  Tennyson, Princess, IV. 359. Fear … wing’d Her transit to the throne, whereby she fell Delivering seal’d dispatches.

1885–94.  R. Bridges, Eros & Psyche, Feb., 10. At Aphrodite’s golden gate—whereby They came as night was close on twilight dim.