after a passive verb:the door was opened by my cousin Anniedamage caused by fire
after a noun denoting an action:a clear decision by the electorateyears of hard fund-raising work by local people
identifying the author of a text, idea, or work of art:a book by Ernest Hemingway
2 [often with verbal noun] indicating the means of achieving something:malaria can be controlled by attacking the parasitethey substantiate their opinions by the use of precise textual referencethey plan to provide further working capital by means of borrowing
indicating a term to which an interpretation is to be assigned:what is meant by ‘fair’?
indicating a name according to which a person is known:she mostly calls me by my last name
indicating the means of transport selected for a journey:the cost of travelling by busI travelled to Folkestone by rail
indicating the other parent of someone’s child or children:Richard is his son by his third wife
indicating the sire of a pedigree animal, especially a horse:a black filly by Goldfuerst
(followed by a noun without a determiner) in various phrases indicating how something happens:I heard by chance that she has married againAnderson, by contrast, rejects this viewshe ate by candlelight
3indicating the amount or size of a margin:the shot missed her by milesthe raising of VAT by 2.5%
indicating a quantity or amount:billing is by the minutethe drunken yobbos who turned up by the cartload
in phrases indicating something happening repeatedly or progressively, typically with repetition of a unit of time:colours changing minute by minutethe risk becomes worse by the day
identifying a parameter:a breakdown of employment figures by age and occupation
expressing multiplication, especially in dimensions:a map measuring 400 by 600 mmshe multiplied it by 89
4indicating a deadline or the end of a particular time period:I’ve got to do this report by Mondayby now Kelly needed extensive physiotherapy
5indicating location of a physical object beside a place or object:remains were discovered by the roadsidethe pram was by the dresser
past and beyond:I drove by our house
6indicating the period in which something happens:this animal always hunts by night
7concerning; according to:anything you do is all right by meshe had done her duty by him
8used in mild oaths:it was the least he could do, by GodI swear by Almighty God
ზმნისართი
Universal
so as to go past:a car flashed by on the other side of the roadhe let only a moment go by