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# by

preposition; adverb (go by, put by, stop by)

«by» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. By shows who does something: a book by Roald Dahl. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#m1)
2. By shows how something is done: by bus, by hand. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#m2)
3. By means next to: sit by the window. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#m3)
4. By means not later than: be home by six. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#m4)
5. In maths, by names the number you multiply or divide by, or how much something changes: grew by 3; a room 4 by 5 metres. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#m5)
6. As an adverb, by means past: the cars went by. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#m6)
7. (casual) «Stop by», «drop by», «pop by» mean visit for a short time; «by the way» or «btw» adds a new point. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#m7)
8. (formal) The exam voice uses «by» in stiff phrases: «by means of», «by virtue of», «increased by a factor of», «by the conclusion of». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#m8)
9. By design means on purpose, planned in advance. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#m9)

### In the lessons

«multiply … by», «divide … by» (6 divided by 2 = 3); «a room 4 by 5 metres» (sides); «increase by 3» (add 3), «decrease by 3» (subtract 3); also «by Tom» for who did it; in everyday life «by the way», «by myself» (alone), «one by one», «by heart», «by mistake»; in texts «btw»; in the exam voice «by means of», «increased by a factor of 2» (multiplied by 2), «by the conclusion of the week»

### Examples

- When there are several equal groups, we multiply the number of groups by the size of one group. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#x1)
- Divide 20 by 4. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#x2)
- The cake was cut by Dad into 8 pieces. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#x3)
- We go to school by bus. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#x4)
- The plant grew by 3 centimetres this week. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#x5)
- Please hand in your homework by Friday. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#x6)
- She sat by the fire to get warm. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#x7)
- I learned the poem by heart. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#x8)
- The children came in one by one. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#x9)
- btw nan's stopping by at 5, set another plate [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#x10)
- Sorry, I took your pen by mistake. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#x11)
- The quantity is subsequently increased by a factor of 3; determine the resulting value. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#x12)
- "No, sir, by design," returned Aladdin. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#x13)

### Note

«multiply A by B» = A × B; «divide A by B» = A ÷ B. Trap: «more by 3», «grew by 3» or «increased by 3» means add 3, not multiply; «increased by a factor of 3» means multiply by 3. «4 by 5 metres» names two sides; the area is 4 × 5. «by Friday» is a deadline, not a number. Do not mix «by» with «buy» (pay for) and «bye» (goodbye).

## In Jewish tradition

In the Torah it is often used to mean "according to" or "in the order of", as in "by their families". In the primary lessons: «multiply … by», «divide … by» (6 divided by 2 = 3); «a room 4 by 5 metres» (sides); «increase by 3» (add 3), «decrease by 3» (subtract 3); also «by Tom» for who did it; in everyday life «by the way», «by myself» (alone), «one by one», «by heart», «by mistake»; in texts «btw»; in the exam voice «by means of», «increased by a factor of 2» (multiplied by 2), «by the conclusion of the week»

### Examples

- And they did eat there by the heap. (Torah GEN.31.46, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/by/#x1)
- And Abraham set seven ewe-lambs of the flock by themselves. (Torah GEN.21.28, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/by/#x2)
- And the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. (Torah NUM.3.20, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/by/#x3)
- They are wholly consumed by terrors. (Writings PSA.73.19, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/by/#x4)
- Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. (Prophets 1SA.16.9, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/by/#x5)
- Who can number the clouds by wisdom? (Writings JOB.38.37, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/by/#x6)

### Note

«multiply A by B» = A × B; «divide A by B» = A ÷ B. Trap: «more by 3», «grew by 3» or «increased by 3» means add 3, not multiply; «increased by a factor of 3» means multiply by 3. «4 by 5 metres» names two sides; the area is 4 × 5. «by Friday» is a deadline, not a number. Do not mix «by» with «buy» (pay for) and «bye» (goodbye).

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «by» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«by» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/by.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «by» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/B/by/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«by» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/by.html) on Mova free.