By-law to Byzantine
By-law
(By"-law`) n. [Cf. Sw. bylag, D. bylov, Icel. byarlög, 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
(By"-name`) n. A nickname. Camden.
Byname
(By"name`), v. t. To give a nickname to. Camden.
By-pass
(By"-pass) n. (Mech.) A by- passage, for a pipe, or other channel, to divert circulation from
the usual course.
By-passage
(By"-pas`sage) n. A passage different from the usual one; a byway.
By-past
(By"-past) a. Past; gone by. "By-past perils." Shak.
Bypath
(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
(By"-place`) n. A retired or private place.
Byplay
(By"play) n. Action carried on aside, and commonly in dumb show, while the main action proceeds.
By-product
(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
(Byre) n. [Cf, Icel. bür pantry, Sw. bur cage, Dan. buur, E. bower.] A cow house. [N. of Eng.
& Scot.]
By-respect
(By"-re*spect`) n. Private end or view; by-interest. [Obs.] Dryden.
Byroad
(By"road`) n. A private or obscure road. "Through slippery byroads" Swift.
Byronic
(By"ron`ic) a. Pertaining to, or in the style of, Lord Byron.
With despair and Byronic misanthropy.
Thackeray
By-room
(By"-room`) n. A private room or apartment. "Stand in some by-room" Shak.
Bysmottered
(By*smot"ter*ed) p.a. [See Besmut.] Bespotted with mud or dirt. [Obs.] Chaucer.
By-speech
(By"-speech`) n. An incidental or casual speech, not directly relating to the point. "To quote
by- speeches." Hooker.
By-spell
(By"-spell`) n. [AS. bigspell.] A proverb. [Obs.]
Byss
(Byss) n. See Byssus, n., 1.
