by and bye

A form of by and by — After a short time.

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Meanings

adverbby and bye (not comparable)
  1. datednot comparableDated form of by and by.

    But perhaps you have heard people say, “Oh, yes! it is warm to-day, but we have got to pay for it by and bye, when the frost will come and kill the silly buds and blossoms that came out because they thought it was Spring. […]

    1883, Sermons for boys and girls, 2nd series, page 228
Cite this entry
APA

by and bye. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20and%20bye

MLA

“by and bye.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20and%20bye. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “by and bye,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20and%20bye.

Source: by and bye on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.