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The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary: Section a and B · Project Gutenberg — chapter 895 of 897 · ~449 words · public domain

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By"land (&?;), n. A peninsula. [Obs.]

By"land*er (&?;), n. See Bilander. [Obs.]

By"-lane` (b"-ln`), n. A private lane, or one opening out of the usual road.

By"-law` (b"-l`), n. [Cf. Sw. bylag, D. bylov, Icel. barlög, fr. Sw. & Dan. by town, Icel. bær, byr (fr. bûa to dwell) + the word for law; hence, a law for one town, a special law. Cf. Birlaw and see Law.] 1. A local or subordinate law; a private law or regulation made by a corporation for its own government.

There was likewise a law to restrain the by-laws, or ordinances of corporations. Bacon.

The law or institution; to which are added two by- laws, as a comment upon the general law. Addison.

2. A law that is less important than a general law or constitutional provision, and subsidiary to it; a rule relating to a matter of detail; as, civic societies often adopt a constitution and by- laws for the government of their members. In this sense the word has probably been influenced by by, meaning secondary or aside.

By"-name` (&?;), n. A nickname. Camden.

By"name`, v. t. To give a nickname to. Camden.

By"-pass (&?;), n. (Mech.) A by- passage, for a pipe, or other channel, to divert circulation from the usual course.

By"-pas`sage (&?;), n. A passage different from the usual one; a byway.

By"-past (&?;), a. Past; gone by. "By-past perils." Shak.

By"path` (&?;), n.; pl. Bypaths (&?;). A private path; an obscure way; indirect means.

God known, my son, By what bypaths, and indirect crooked ways, I met this crown. Shak.

By"-place` (&?;), n. A retired or private place.

By"play (&?;), n. Action carried on aside, and commonly in dumb show, while the main action proceeds.

By"-prod`uct (&?;), n. A secondary or additional product; something produced, as in the course of a manufacture, in addition to the principal product.

Byre (&?;), n. [Cf, Icel. bür pantry, Sw. bur cage, Dan. buur, E. bower.] A cow house. [N. of Eng. & Scot.]

By"-re*spect` (b"r*spkt`), n. Private end or view; by-interest. [Obs.] Dryden.

By"road` (&?;), n. A private or obscure road. "Through slippery byroads" Swift.

By"ron`ic (&?;), a. Pertaining to, or in the style of, Lord Byron.

With despair and Byronic misanthropy. Thackeray

By"-room` (&?;), n. A private room or apartment. "Stand in some by-room" Shak.

By*smot"ter*ed (b*smt"tr*d), p.a. [See Besmut.] Bespotted with mud or dirt. [Obs.] Chaucer.

By"-speech`(&?;), n. An incidental or casual speech, not directly relating to the point. "To quote by- speeches." Hooker.

By"-spell`(&?;), n. [AS. bigspell.] A proverb. [Obs.]

Byss (&?;), n. See Byssus, n., 1.

Bys*sa"ceous (&?;), a. [From Byssus.] (Bot.) Byssuslike; consisting of fine fibers or threads, as some very delicate filamentous algæ.

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