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Under vs By - What's the difference?

under | by |

As prepositions the difference between under and by

is that under is in or at a lower level than while by is near or next to.

As adverbs the difference between under and by

is that under is in a way lower or less than while by is along a path which runs by the speaker.

As adjectives the difference between under and by

is that under is being lower; being beneath something while by is out of the way, subsidiary.

As a noun by is

(card games) a pass.

As an interjection by is

.

under

English

Preposition

(English prepositions)
  • In or at a lower level than.
  • * 1922 , (Virginia Woolf), (w, Jacob's Room) Chapter 1
    • The little boys in the front bedroom had thrown off their blankets and lay under the sheets.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
    • , chapter=14 citation , passage=Nanny Broome was looking up at the outer wall.  Just under the ceiling there were three lunette windows, heavily barred and blacked out in the normal way by centuries of grime.}}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-29, volume=407, issue=8842, page=28, magazine=(The Economist)
    • , title= High and wet , passage=Floods in northern India, mostly in the small state of Uttarakhand, have wrought disaster on an enormous scale.
  • As a subject of; subordinate to.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=May 5, author=Phil McNulty, title=Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool
    • , work=BBC Sport citation , passage=He was then denied by a magnificent tackle from captain Terry as Liverpool continued to press - but Chelsea survived as the memories of the nightmare under Villas-Boas faded even further into the background.}}
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011, date=December 14, author=Angelique Chrisafis
    • , title=Rachida Dati accuses French PM of sexism and elitism, work=Guardian citation , passage=Dati launched a blistering attack on the prime minister, François Fillon, under whom she served as justice minister, accusing him of sexism, elitism, arrogance and hindering the political advancement of ethnic minorities.}}
  • Less than.
  • Below the surface of.
  • (figuratively) In the face of; in response to (some attacking force).
  • * 2011 , Tom Fordyce, Rugby World Cup 2011: England 12-19 France [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/15210221.stm]
    • England's World Cup dreams fell apart under a French onslaught on a night when their shortcomings were brutally exposed at the quarter-final stage.
  • As, in the character of.
  • * 2013 , The Huffington Post, JK Rowling Pseudonym: Robert Galbraith's 'The Cuckoo's Calling' Is Actually By Harry Potter Author [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/13/jk-rowling-pseudonym-robert-galbraith_n_3592769.html]
    • J.K. Rowling has written a crime novel called 'The Cuckoo's Calling' under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

    Synonyms

    * below * beneath * underneath

    Antonyms

    * above * over

    Adverb

    (-)
  • In a way lower or less than.
  • * (rfexample)
  • In a way inferior to.
  • * (rfexample)
  • In an unconscious state.
    • It took the hypnotist several minutes to make his subject go under .

    Synonyms

    * below * beneath

    Antonyms

    * above * over

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Being lower; being beneath something.
  • * Bible, 1 Corinthians ix. 27
    • I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection.
  • * Moore
    • The minstrel fell, but the foeman's chain / Could not bring his proud soul under .
  • *
  • *
  • *

    • Derived terms

    * down under * six feet under * underachieve * underage * underarm * undercurrent * undercut * underground * underhanded * underneath * underrate * underreport * under the weather * undertow * underwater * underworld : See also:

    References

    * Andrea Tyler and Vyvyan Evans, "The vertical axis", in The Semantics of English Prepositions: Spatial Scenes, Embodied Meaning and Cognition , Cambridge University Press, 2003, 0-521-81430 8

    Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * English prepositions 1000 English basic words ----

    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)

    • Statistics

    * 100 English basic words English two-letter words 1000 English basic words ----