[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/by.html) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / by [← B](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/B/) # by «by» in Mova's school dictionary: **By shows who does something: a book by Roald Dahl** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it. ### part of speech preposition; adverb (go by, put by, stop by) ### meaning for a pupil 1) By shows who does something: a book by Roald Dahl. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#m1) 2) By shows how something is done: by bus, by hand. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#m2) 3) By means next to: sit by the window. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#m3) 4) By means not later than: be home by six. [tree →](https://md.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://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#m5) 6) As an adverb, by means past: the cars went by. [tree →](https://md.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://md.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://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#m8) 9) By design means on purpose, planned in advance. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#m9) ### sense 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://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#x1) - Divide 20 by 4. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#x2) - The cake was cut by Dad into 8 pieces. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#x3) - We go to school by bus. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#x4) - The plant grew by 3 centimetres this week. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#x5) - Please hand in your homework by Friday. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#x6) - She sat by the fire to get warm. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#x7) - I learned the poem by heart. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#x8) - The children came in one by one. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#x9) - btw nan's stopping by at 5, set another plate [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#x10) - Sorry, I took your pen by mistake. [tree →](https://md.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://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/#x12) - "No, sir, by design," returned Aladdin. [tree →](https://md.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 the corpora - [Burnout means being worn down by too much work and stress for too long, until even small tasks feel huge.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/4-when-work-goes-wrong/15/) - [Benefits are paid for by everyone's taxes as a safety net, and many families who work get some help too.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/5-where-money-comes-from/11/) - [An inheritance is money or belongings left by someone who has died, as written in their will.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/5-where-money-comes-from/13/) - [Cashback at a shop means taking your own money out as cash while paying by card; it is not a gift.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/7-cards-banks-and-apps/20/) - [By the end of the call there is a plan, and he says, "Right.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/8-borrowing-and-debt/7/) ### Trees and pragmatics [Every meaning and example of «by» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/by/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.