By-

in composition.

  A.  A ME. variant spelling of the prefix BI-, BE-, under which see most of the words, as, under BE-, bycause, bydene, bydryve, byfall, byfore, byget, bygynne, bygile, etc.; under BI-, byreusy, byweve, etc. Those words only are given under BY- for which no forms with be- or bi- have been met with.

  B.  By- (sometimes bye-): the preposition, adverb, or adjective BY in combination, either in words already formed in OE. with the accented form of the prefix, bí-, biʓ, or in words of later formation, especially those in which by has an attributive sense, and cannot be separated by any clear line from BY adj., since the use of the hyphen is very uncertain. All the principal words so formed are treated as main words in their alphabetical places; the less important and more obvious combinations here follow, under the various uses and senses of the prefix.

  I.  1. Compounds in which by- is a prep., as by-rote a. See also by-hither, by-south (BY prep. 9 c.), by-ordinary, by-common, etc. (BY prep. 7), and BYHAND.

1669.  Penn, No Cross, XX. § 23. That a little By-rote Babble shall serve your Turn at the Great Day?

  II.  Compounds in which by- has an advb. force.

  2.  a. with nouns of agent or action, with senses ‘beside, past’; as by-inhabitant, -seer, -sitter, -stroller; † by-lier, a neutral; † by-coming, passing; † by-settel, a lodger; so BY-DWELLER, BY-STANDER, etc.

1600.  Gowrie’s Conspir., in Select. fr. Harl. Misc. (1793), 195. Which [doore] … he had lokked in his *bycomming.

1658.  W. Burton, Itin. Anton., 135. Ruins of Walls, which the *by-inhabitants call, The old Work of Wrockcester.

a. 1572.  Knox, Hist. Ref., 222 (Jam.). In caise it beis inquyred of all *By-lyars.

1642.  T. Hill, Trade of Truth, 45. Many are aposcopi, rather then Episcopi … *by-seers, rather then overseers.

1612.  N. Riding Record Soc., I. 264. These persons following for reteyning of inmates or *by-settells.

1837.  Hawthorne, Amer. Note-Bks. (1871), I. 63. Others of the … *by-sitters put various questions.

1859.  Sala, Tw. round Clock, 12. Yawing … on the *bye-strollers.

  b.  with sense ‘aside, SIDE-’; as by-glance, glancing, -leap, -start, -step, etc.; also indicating movement astray, or in a wrong direction, as by-fantasy, -lusting, -regard, -thought, wishing; also BY-VIEW, etc.

1609.  R. Barnerd, Faithf. Shepheard, 14. Interrupted with wauering thoughts and *by-fantasies.

a. 1659.  Cleveland, Committee, 2. No packing, I beseech you, no *by-glance.

1598.  Grenewey, Tacitus, Ann., XIV. iii. (1622), 203. By a *by-glancing at Claudius raigne.

1571.  Golding, Calvin on Ps. xi. 2. The fearfull bird, was fayne to make dyverse *byleapes. Ibid. (1583), Calvin on Deut., cxxxvi. 835. He forbiddeth vs also to haue any *by lusting.

1623.  Lisle, Ælfric on O. & N. T., Pref. 11. They for divers *by-regards, may hide … the truth.

1542.  Udall, Erasm. Apoph., 280 b. His soudiours in gooyng foorthward … made *by stertes out of their waye, and did muche oppression.

1567.  Drant, Horace’s Epist., To Rdr. 4. To speake according to the man, (which is a *bystep from the pathe of diuinitye).

1652.  Benlowes, Theoph., XIII. cxvi. 251. Pardon the by-steps that my soul has trod.

1561.  T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., III. 279. No man can be so bente to praye, but that he shall fele many *bythoughts to crepe vpon him.

1601.  Dent, Pathw. Heauen, 322. I demand of you, whether you neuer had any by-thoughts in your praiers.

1571.  Golding, Calvin on Ps. xxxv. 14. To some it seemeth a *by-wishing.

  c.  with a sense akin to that of side-blow, side-stroke; and often fig. of allusions in speech or writing: ‘Indirect’; as by-fling, -hint, -quip, -stroke; by-wipe (= side-stroke).

1651.  Baxter, Inf. Bapt., Apol. 8. Many told him of my *by-flings at him.

1853.  Kingsley, Hypatia, II. vi. 163. *By-hints, and unexpected hits at one and the other. Ibid. (1855), Westw. Ho, xiii. Some *bye-quip, perhaps, at the character of her most dainty captain.

1679.  Bedloe, Popish Plot, A b. I shall say nothing of their Politick *By-strooks.

1641.  Milton, Animadv. (1851), 187. Wherefore that conceit of Legion with a *by-wipe?

  d.  with pples., as by-flown, by-travelling, -wandering; by-advanced, already past; † by-come, past; by-peeping, looking aside; BYGONE, BY-PAST, etc.

1827.  Carlyle, Richter, Misc. (1869), 20. In thy steeples, behind the *by-advanced great midnight it struck half-past two.

1592.  Warner, Alb. Eng., VII. xxxvi. (1612), 173. His happiest daies *by come or to be past.

1884.  H. S. Wilson, Stud. Hist., 171. Mere names, vaguely realised through the mists of a *by-flown time.

1611.  Shaks., Cymb., I. vi. 108. *By peeping in an eye Base and illustrious.

1610.  Guillim, Heraldry, VI. vi. Lampen … took name from the *by-travailing River.

1567.  Pilgr. Parnass., I. 114. Keepe mee from devious and *by-wandringe wayes.

  III.  Combinations in which by has an adjectival force.

  (Here the senses so pass one into another, that it is not possible to classify them distinctly; different senses also often blend in the same combination. The following arrangement aims only at presenting the more obvious combinations under their predominating sense.)

  3.  With a notion of local position or direction and usually equivalent to SIDE.

  a.  in the sense ‘Placed beside, at one side, aside, or off at the side,’ hence ‘out-of-the-way’; generally with relation to a main or principal thing of the same kind, and thus often involving some notion of ‘subsidiary’ or ‘subordinate’ (see 5): as in † by-board (= side-table); -chamber, -chapel, -cliff, -closet, -dish, -door, -gulf, -hole, -nook, † -note (= side or marginal note), -paper, -part, -settle (= side seat or bench), -slade, † -stall, -station, -tail, -town, -vale, -window; also BY-PLACE, BY-ROOM, BY-TABLE, etc.

1637.  Rutherford, Lett., lxxvii. (1862), I. 198. A sufferer for Christ … will be fain to eat with the bairns and to take the *by-board.

1853.  Kingsley, Hypatia, II. xii. 312. Where was he now? In a little *by chamber.

1562.  Cooper, Answ. Priv. Masse (1850), 99. To creep in corners or *by-chapels as a sign of separation.

1596.  Fitz-Geffrey, Sir E. Drake (1881), 88. O now descend my ever mourning Muse Downe from the *by-cliffe of thy sisters mount.

1696.  Whiston, Th. Earth, Introd. 57. Will a wise Builder bestow twice as much time in decking … of one *Bycloset of inferior use?

1599.  H. Buttes, Dyets drie Dinner, in James I’s Counterbl. (Arb.), 92. I haue put into a *by-dish (like Eg-shelles in a Saucer) what worthily may breed offence.

1545.  Brinklow, Lament. (1874), 94. They may also forsake their *bydores, and clyminge in at the windowes.

1639.  Fuller, Holy War, II. xxxi. (1840), 90. He, like a *by-gulf, devoured her affection, which should flow to her children.

1664.  H. More, Myst. Iniq., 565. They … seek for Inspirations and Revelations in *by-holes amongst the squallid Sepulchers of the dead.

1862.  Horlock, Country Gentl. II. 145. Major Townshend, whose nose … was ever poking and peering into odd corners, and little *by-nooks.

1579.  G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (1884), 78. I have once in my life bestowid uppon the a *Byenote for thy lerninge.

a. 1603.  T. Cartwright, Confut. Rhem. N. T. (1618), 581. This reliefe, whereof your by-note in the margent tatleth.

1659.  Instruct. Oratory, 108. A memorandum being made of it in a *by-paper as you are writing.

1707.  J. Stephens, Quevedo’s Com. Wks. (1709), 54. Apple-street … is a *by-part of the Town.

1602.  Rowlands, Greene’s Ghost (1860), 26. A cloake vpon a *by-settle.

1635.  J. Hayward, Banish’d Virg., 126. They found, in an uncouth *by-slad, a slender Barge.

1682.  MS. Ord. Crt. of Sewers, Alford, Lincolnsh. The breaches of the New Sea Banke & *Bystall lately broken.

1864.  Times, 24 Dec., 8/6. If a goods train is timed to be shunted at a *by-station but a few minutes before the arrival of an express, [etc.].

1879.  Miss Jackson, Shropsh. Word-bk., *By-tail, the right handle of a plough; it is fastened to the ‘shell-board.’

1683.  Royal Procl., in Lond. Gaz., No. 1856/2. A Settled Post in or near particular *By-Towns, or Places lying on the Post Road.

1686.  Goad, Celest. Bodies, I. iv. 10. Dayes wherein Fog … chooses to nestle in a *by-Vale.

1611.  L. Barry, Ram Alley, IV. She is shewing … rare faces In a *by-window.

  b.  in the sense ‘Running along-side and apart,’ whence ‘devious, circuitous,’ and again ‘little used, unfrequented’; as in by-alley, -conduit, -course, -court, -cut, -ditch, -journey, -rill, -river, -route, -shoot, -stream, -track, -turning, -water; also bygang (dial.), a by-path; by-gate (dial.), a by-way; by-lead = by-wash; by-sprouting, a side-shoot; by-wash (see quot.); also BY-CHANNEL, BY-STREET, BY-WALK, etc.

1667.  Primatt, City & C. Build., 148. The Statute … for *By-Alleys, Lanes, By-Courts, and such places.

1631.  Celestina, IV. 50. Glory and quietnesse run from the rich by other *by-conduits and gutters of subtilty and deceit.

1626.  Impeach. Dk. Buckhm., in Rushw., Hist. Coll. (1659), I. 305. Irregular running into all *by-courses of the Planets.

1753.  World, No. 52. Returning home through a *by-court.

1883.  Pall Mall Gaz., 10 Nov., 8/2. Clearing the Regent’s Canal and the *by-cut at Haggerston.

1650.  Fuller, Pisgah, I. x. 32. The *by-ditches of Dan and Bethel, did not so drain the peoples devotion.

1855.  Whitby Gloss., *By-gang, a by-path.

c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron. (Rolls Ser.), 10145. *Bigate [see BYWAY].

1573.  J. Tyrie, Refut. Knox’s Answ., Pref. 7 (Jam.). Euer seikand refugis and by-gets.

1596.  Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., 102. Thay take the pray, be bout-gates alanerlie & bygates.

1808.  Mayne, Siller Gun, 31 (Jam.).

1673.  Ray, Journ. Low C., 38. Before we left Leyden we made a *by-Journey to Sevenbuys.

a. 1711.  Ken, Hymnotheo, Poet. Wks. 1721, III. 243. Sin with *by-rills devaricates the Stream.

1577–87.  Harrison, Descr. Brit., I. xvi. 107. A verie few *by-rivers.

1855.  Chamb. Jrnl., IV. 37. We return to the city by a *by-route little frequented.

1669.  Worlidge, Syst. Agric., viii. § 3 (1681), 161. Take away about blossoming time, all the *by-shots.

1562.  Turner, Herbal, II. 84 a. Peony … hath many *bysproutynges.

1615.  Crooke, Body of Man, 550. Learned men … may repaire to those fountaines from whence we haue drawne our *by-streame.

1834.  M. Scott, Cruise Midge (1863), 39. We encountered in another small *by-tracke … three others.

1581.  Sidney, Def. Poesie (Arb.), 39. The many *by-turnings that may diuert you from your way.

1885.  Ogilvie, *Bye-wash, By-lead, a channel cut to convey the surplus water from a reservoir or aqueduct, and prevent overflow.

1864.  H. W. Bates, Nat. Amazons, vi. 150. An extensive lake … which … has therefore the appearance of a *by-water or an old channel of the river.

  c.  transferred to matters, action, etc., collateral with the main matter or action: ‘aside, SIDE-,’ as in by-battle, -concernment, -consideration, -dialogue, -discourse, -disputation, -history, -interest, -issue, -object, -point, -question, -touch; also BY-PLAY.

1842.  De Quincey, Cicero, Wks. VI. 207. The *by-battle with the Cilician pirates is more obscure.

1667.  Dryden, Ess. Dram. Poesie, Wks. 1725, I. 51. Our Plays, besides the main design, have Under Plots, or *By-Concernments.

1691.  Norris, Pract. Disc., 60. We are not determined … but by some other *By-consideration.

1818.  Scott, Rob Roy, xxx. This *by-dialogue prevented my hearing what passed between the prisoner and Captain Thornton.

1655–60.  Stanley, Hist. Philos. (1701), 557/2. It is fit to premise, and put, as a *By discourse, a Treatise concerning Divine Nature.

1580.  G. Harvey, 3 Wittie Lett., 33. But to let this by-disputation passe.

1697.  Verdicts conc. Virg. & Homer, iii. 6. The marshalling … of the Episodes or *by-Histories.

1801.  T. Jefferson, Writ. (1830), III. 484. They have so many other *by-interests of greater weight.

1768.  Tucker, Lt. Nat., II. 503. A thousand *by-objects soliciting on all sides.

1610.  Bp. Carleton, Jurisd., 160. Not spending time in the examination of *by-points.

1886.  Pall Mall Gaz., 14 Sept., 5/2. But this is a by-point; and in its main line … Mr. Montague’s work could hardly be improved upon.

1603.  Sir C. Heydon, Jud. Astrol., xviii. 385. To digresse from the matter in hand to *by-questions.

1832.  J. C. Hare, Philol. Museum, I. 469. The value of the poems is independent of these *by-touches.

  d.  The sense ‘aside,’ develops that of ‘private, privy, covert’; also connoting ‘indirect, underhand, or sinister’ dealing, as by-aim, -babbling, -conference, -contrivement, -design, -errand, -intent, -interest, -motive, -payment, -purpose, -trick, -warning, -wit.

1702.  Case of Schedule Stated, 7. [He] might have other *By-aims, and Collateral Views, in what he did.

1614.  J. Robinson, Relig. Commun., 64. His *by-bablings, and revyleings.

1625.  K. Long, trans. Barclay’s Argenis, II. xii. 103. Amongst other *by-conference, hee learned much … touching the Queenes affaires.

1657.  Reeve, God’s Plea, Ep. Ded. 12. All *by-contrivments are but sinister drifts and bents.

1622–62.  Heylin, Cosmogr. (1674), To Rdr. A ij. Without any *by-design to abuse the Reader.

1706.  Reflex. upon Ridicule (1717), I. 89. With a By-design to be paid by them in the same Coin.

1673.  Cave, Prim. Chr., III. i. 228. To go to Court upon *by-errands and private designs of their own.

1619.  Lushington, Repetit.-Serm., in Phenix (1708), II. 483. Had they any *By-intent, they would have been very forward to report and spread the Fame.

1692.  Locke, Toleration, III. viii. A Pretence made use of to cover some other *By-Interest.

1849.  Grote, Greece (1854), I. 434. With the certainty of … counterworking sinister *by-motives.

1820.  Shelley, Œdipus Tyr., II. i. The patronage, and pensions, and *by-payments.

1826.  E. Irving, Babylon, II. 444. If ye carry any *by-purposes in your breast … woe unto you!

1818.  Hazlitt, Eng. Poets, iii. (1870), 85. To support his argument by the *by-tricks of a hump and cloven foot.

1605.  Breton, Soul’s Immort. Crowne, i. (D.). She is of a more heuenly nature, Than with such *by-wit to abuse a creature.

1542.  Udall, Erasm. Apoph., ** vj a. Aristotle … gaue a *bywarnyng with this verse of the poete Homere.

  e.  Sometimes the sense appears to be ‘wrested from the right, distorted, erroneous.’

1670.  Baxter, Cure Ch.-div., 174. He will make but an engine of his *by-opinions, to destroy true Piety.

1782.  J. Trumbull, M‘Fingal, III. (1795), 68.

1581.  J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., A vii b. Sondry deformed *byshapes of doctrine are fostered upp in the Church.

1651.  Mr. Love’s Case, 33. Not wont to pervert or wrest words into *by-significations.

  ¶ See also 2 b., c., for combinations which lie on the border between the adverbial and adjective uses of by.

  4.  Occurring or done out of the ordinary course, or in the intervals between main occasions, or main engagements; apart from the main purpose; occurring by the way, incidental, casual, as by-accident, -bit, -business, -day, -drinking, -drop, -election, -employment, -goodness, -hour, -job, -letter, -match, -production (= Gr. πάρεργον), -service, -sess, -vote; † by-acquist, an incidental gain; by-charge, a casual expense; † by-clap, ? an interlude; also BY-TIME, BY-WORK, etc.

1648.  Bp. Hall, Select Th., § 24. Whatever *by-accidents I may meet withal besides.

1661.  Boyle, Style of H. Script., 48. Our *By-acquists do richly recompence our frustrated pains.

1818.  Scott, Br. Lamm., iv. A *by bit between meals.

1653.  Holcroft, Procopius, II. 49. But those Romans finding Petra in their way, attempted the Castle as a *by-businesse.

a. 1677.  Barrow, Serm. (1840), II. 403. A πάρεργον, a diversion or by-business of our lives.

1525.  Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. ccxxiv. [ccxx.] 702. To paye the erles *by charges.

1661.  R. Davenport, City Nt.-cap, IV. in Dodsley (1780), XI. 332. No mask but a *by-clap.

1637.  Laud, Sp. Star-Chamb., 14 June, 18. Upon those *by-dayes [i.e., days when there is no sermon] to runne to other Churches.

1857.  G. A. Lawrence, Guy Livingstone, v. 37. What with being park-hack in the summer and cover-hack in the winter, with a by-day now and then when the country’s light, she’s [a mare] the best instance of perpetual motion I know.

1596.  Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., III. iii. 84. You owe Money … for your Dyet, and *by-Drinkings.

1824.  Blackw. Mag., XVI. 662. The whole expense, by-drinkings included, might be defrayed for four pounds.

1647.  Fuller, Good Th. in Worse T. (1841), 95. I … sprinkle some *by-drops for the instruction of the people.

1880.  Cowie, in Standard, 29 Nov., 3/8. As a rule we do not apply money to *bye-elections.

a. 1617.  Hieron, Wks., II. 84. To deceiue their inward anguish, by I know not what *by-imployments.

a. 1679.  T. Goodwin, Wks. (1861), I. 417. There is a proper goodness, and there is an accidental, a *by-goodness.

1639.  Saltmarshe, Policy, 278. The best opportunities are meale times, and some other *by-houres of relaxation.

1867.  Smiles, Huguenots Eng., xiv. (1880), 247. His chief delight in his bye-hours was to shut himself up with Le Gendre’s arithmetic.

1773.  Graves, Spir. Quix., I. II. ii. 43 (D.). When he could secrete a tester for some *bye-jobb.

1685.  Royal Procl., in Lond. Gaz., No. 2068/2. The Post-Master General … to take effectual Care for the Conveyance of all *By-Letters.

1758.  Johnson, Idler, No. 62, ¶ 10. A chesnut horse … who won … ten *by-matches.

1870.  Lowell, Study Wind., 110. The *by-productions of a busy man.

1639.  Fuller, Holy War, III. xviii. (1840), 146. Employing the army of pilgrims in *by-services.

1650.  Overseers’ Acc. Holy Cross, Canterb. Sixe *By Sesses made within the yeare.

1880.  H. E. Manning, in 19th Cent., Aug., 181. But Parliament has not yet confirmed that *by-vote. Ibid. A by-vote like that which shut the door of the House of Commons against Horne Tooke because he was a clergyman.

  5.  Of character, relative standing, or importance: Additional, extra, subsidiary, secondary, minor, of less importance. Contrasted with MAIN. As By-art, -assembly, -authority, -bill, -book, -cause, -ceremony, -character, -crop, -dependency, -feature, -form (of a word), -help, -ingredient, -knife, -meaning, -meter, -ornament, -part, -root, -rule, -saint’s-day, -stamp, -taste, -tone, -world, -writer, etc., etc. Also by-bootings (? boltings), ‘the finest kind of bran’ (Halliw.); by-faith, a secondary article of belief; by-foundation, a second endowment or benefaction; by-founder, the bestower of such an endowment; † by-leman, a second lover or gallant (see quots.); by-member, an additional limb; by-tack (see quot.).

a. 1643.  W. Cartwright, On death of Mrs. Ashford (R.). What others now count qualities and parts She thought but complements, and meer *by-arts.

1673.  Sir L. Jenkins, Lett., in W. Wynne, Life, I. 121. Encouraging a kind of *by-assembly here of the best affected princes of Germany.

1622.  F. Markham, Bk. War, IV. ix. § 6. 156. Many other *by-authorities are transferred vpon these officers, as distribution of victuals.

1732.  Acc. Workhouses, 148. The weekly payments to the poor were 3l. 5s. or thereabouts, besides *By-bills, as they are called.

1663–4.  Pepys, Diary, 24 Jan. I … fell on entering, out of a *bye-book, part of my second journall-book.

1593.  Munic. Acc. Newcastle (1848), 29. Keepeinge the by-booke of the rente of Gateshead.

1614.  B. Jonson, Barth. Fair, III. i. I, the said Adam, was one cause (a *by-cause) why the purse was lost.

1633.  Ames, Agst. Cerem., II. 122. He … doeth now … admit such *by-Ceremonies.

1884.  W. G. Wills, in Pall Mall Gaz., 28 July, 4/2. The *by-characters … support and feed the situations chiefly occupied by an impression full-length.

1880.  Academy, 24 July, 61. Jute is only a *by-crop, like turnips and beans in this country.

1611.  Shaks., Cymb., V. v. 390. All the other *by-dependancies, From chance to chance.

a. 1679.  T. Goodwin, Wks. (1864), VIII. 487. The Jews sought it [i.e., righteousness] but as a *by-faith.

c. 1683.  Dryden, Vind. Dk. of Guise, Wks. 1725, V. 318. There is … no Dash of a Pen to make any *By-feature resemble him to any other Man.

1887.  trans. Hehn’s Wanderings Pl. & Anim., 461. Some Teutonic languages have a *by-form in which the Latin n is retained.

1655.  Fuller, Ch. Hist., III. 75. There is a *By-Foundation of Postmasters in this House, (a kinde of Colledg in the Colledg). Ibid., Hist. Camb. (1840), 216. The bounty of sir Francis Clark … justly entitled him to be a *by-founder.

1571.  Golding, Calvin on Ps. lxxiii. 25. They truste to theire owne riches and other *byhelpes.

1882.  T. G. Pinches, in Trans. Philol. Soc., I. 99. We have, in these tongues, a valuable by-help in the Science of Semitic philology.

1645.  J. G[oodwin], Innoc. & Truth Tri., To Rdr. 2. Did not the God of Truth … put many a *by ingredient into his providence.

c. 1570.  Leg. Bp. St. Andrews, in Scot. Poems 16th C., II. 323. With y^t his *byknife forth hes tane.

c. 1650.  in C. Innes, Sk. Scot. Hist. (1861), 431. He had a dirk and a ‘by knife’ for Highland expeditions.

c. 1400.  Lay le Freine, 103. Yif ich say ich hadde a *bi-leman.

a. 1400.  Octouian (W.), 119. Thy yonge wyyf: Sche hathd a by-leman.

1836–7.  Sir W. Hamilton, Metaph., iii. (1859), I. 54. Discharge from your minds the *by-meaning accidentally associated with the word empiric.

1509.  Hawes, Past. Pleas., XXIII. iii. A *bye membre she [nature] wyll than more devyse.

1851.  Mayhew, Lond. Labour, III. 270 (Hoppe). There were formerly several *bye-meters (for coal), chosen by the merchants from their own men, as they pleased.

1639.  Massinger, Unnat. Comb., Ded. When such *by-ornaments were not advanced above the fabric of the whole work.

1612.  Woodall, Surg. Mate, Wks. (1653), 19. A *by-part of Surgery not common.

1578.  Chr. Prayers, in Priv. Prayers (1851), 527. To weaken the principal root, that the *byroots … may lose all their power.

1862.  Pope, Dubois on People Ind., III. vi. (ed. 2), 336, note. The *bye-rule that no one shall engage in the same employment as his neighbour.

1624.  Gee, Foot out of Snare, 79. When he preacheth vpon any *By-Saints-day.

1884.  Law Times Rep., LI. 221/2. They registered such name in Sweden as a *bye-stamp in addition to such mark.

1836.  J. Downes, Mount. Decameron, III. 74. Didn’t my father put his father into a *bye tack of our farm?

1847–78.  Halliw., Bytack, a farm taken in addition to another farm, and on which the tenant does not reside. Herefordsh.

1879.  Miss Jackson, Shropsh. Word-bk., s.v., One ’afe o’ the farms bin let bytack.

1799.  J. Robertson, Agric. Perth, 183. Persons of a nice palate loathe the milk on account of a *by-taste, which the turnips give it.

1852.  Seidel, Organ, 87. The higher the fundamental tone is, the quicker the *by-tones follow each other.

1711.  Shaftesb., Charac. (1737), II. 298. ’Tis only a separate *by-world, of which perhaps there are, in the wide waste, millions besides.

1872.  Lytton, Parisians, VII. iii. She … did enjoy that ideal by-world.

1577–87.  Harrison, Descr. Brit., I. ix. 23. Let us see what Fortunatus hath written … and afterward what is to be found of other *by-writers.

  6.  in the sense of Counterfeit, mock, pseudo-, as † by-fruit, a gall or other excrescence simulating a fruit; † by-gold, imitation gold, tinsel; cf. BIGOLD; by-teacher.

1679.  Plot, Staffordsh. (1686), 224. That *by-fruit that grows on the leaves of the Oak, which we call Galls.

1682.  Lister, in Phil. Coll., XII. 166. By-fruits or Wens which Insects raise upon Vegetables.

1611.  Cotgr., Orpel, silver and *by-gold; a kind of leafe-tinne.

1633.  Ames, Agst. Cerem., II. 210. He maketh shew of a distinction, betwixt an authentique teacher, and another … *by-teacher.