put by

present singular third person puts by · participle present putting by

1. transitiveTo store, or place in reserve; to save (money, etc.) for later use.

   I have put by a few hundred pounds for a rainy day.

   1 more example

   Our family has been putting food by for generations.

   Synonyms: save, sneak past, get past

2. transitiveTo remove (something) from the present context and into its proper place; (figurative) to reject or disregard.

   When the lesson was finished, she put by her books and papers.

   3 more examples

   For Christian shame, put by this barbarous brawl:

   c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii], page 320

   I refolded and put by his letter and the draft for the fifty pounds,

   1895, Marie Corelli, The Sorrows of Satan: or The Strange Experience of One Geoffrey Tempest, Millionaire […], London: Methuen & Co. […], →OCLC

   When I came first to Caulds I sought to prevail upon him to accept the eldership, but he aye put me by, and when I heard his tale I saw that he had done wisely.

   1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide

   Synonyms: put away, set aside, put aside, lay aside

3. ditransitiveTo perform an action without attracting the attention of.

   I managed to put that transaction by accounts payable.

4. intransitiveOf a ship: to be run aground intentionally to avoid a collision

   The Bow Spring put by to avoid colliding with the Manzanillo II.