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By vs Whit - What's the difference?

by | whit |

As nouns the difference between by and whit

is that by is bee (insect) while whit is the season of whitsuntide.

As a verb by

is .

by

English

(wikipedia by)

Alternative forms

* bye (archaic for preposition and adverb, not used for abbreviation, preferred for noun and interjection)

Preposition

(English prepositions)
  • Near or next to.
  • At some time before (the given time), or before the end of a given time interval.
  • (Indicates the actor in a clause with its verb in the passive voice): Through the action or presence of.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011, date=September 28, author=Jon Smith, work=BBC Sport
  • , title= Valencia 1-1 Chelsea , passage=Valencia threatened sporadically in the first half with Miguel having a decent effort deflected wide by Ashley Cole, while Jordi Alba's near-post cross was flicked into the sidenetting by Pablo Hernandez.}}
  • (Indicates the creator of a work): Existing through the authorship etc. of.
  • (Indicates the cause of a condition or event): Through the action of, caused by, responsibility for; by dint of.
  • * 1874 , (Thomas Hardy), (Far from the Madding Crowd) , 2005 Barnes & Noble Classics publication of 1912 Wessex edition, p.109:
  • In other directions the fields and sky were so much of one colour by the snow that it was difficult in a hasty glance to tell whereabouts the horizon occurred.
  • (Indicates a means): Involving/using the means of.
  • *
  • *:"I don't want to spoil any comparison you are going to make," said Jim, "but I was at Winchester and New College." ¶ "That will do," said Mackenzie. "I was dragged up at the workhouse school till I was twelve. Then I ran away and sold papers in the streets, and anything else that I could pick up a few coppers by —except steal."
  • (Indicates a source of light): Medium emanating from hot sources.
  • * 1945 , Neva L. Boyd, Handbook of Recreational Games , 1975 edition, ISBN 0486232042, p.16:
  • Players: Can we get there by candlelight? ¶ Gatekeepers: Yes and back again.
  • * 1960 , , (One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish)
  • By' the light of the moon, / ' by the light of a star / they walked all night
  • (senseid).
  • (Indicates the amount of some progression): With a change of.
  • (Indicates a referenced source): According to.
  • (Indicates an oath): With the authority of.
  • Derived terms

    * bit by bit * by degrees * by dint of * by one's lonesome * by oneself * by means of * by rights * by the book * by the by * by the bye * by the way * by your leave * by way of * do good by * do right by * hard by * side by side

    Adverb

    (-)
  • Along a path which runs by the speaker.
  • I watched as it passed by .
  • In the vicinity, near.
  • There was a shepherd close by .
    The shop is hard by the High Street.
  • * Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness
  • [The helmsman] steered with no end of a swagger while you were by ; but if he lost sight of you, he became instantly the prey of an abject funk
  • To or at a place, as a residence or place of business.
  • I'll stop by on my way home from work.
    We're right near the lifeguard station. Come by before you leave.
  • Aside, away.
  • The women spent much time after harvest putting jams by for winter and spring.

    Derived terms

    * by the by * drop by * full and by * nearby * pass by * passerby * put by * right by * stand by * stop by * bypass

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Out of the way, subsidiary.
  • Antonyms

    * main, principal

    Derived terms

    * bypass * byroad * bystander * byway

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (card games) A pass
  • Interjection

    (en interjection)
  • whit

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The smallest part or particle imaginable; an iota.
  • He worked tirelessly to collect and wind a ball of string eight feet around, and it matters not one whit .
  • * 1602 : (William Shakespeare), , act V scene 2
  • Not a whit .
  • * 1917 , Incident by
  • Synonyms

    * (smallest part imaginable) bit, iota, jot, scrap * See also .

    Anagrams

    * with English terms with homophones ----