Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BY-DE-PEND'ENCE, n.

An appendage; that which depends on something else, or is distinct from the main dependence. – Shak.

BY-DE-SIGN', n.

An incidental design, or purpose. – Hudibras.

BY'-DRINK-ING, n.

A private drinking.

BYE, n. [Sax.]

1. A dwelling. – Gibson.
2. In play or games, a station, or place of an individual player.

BY'-END, n.

Private end; secret purpose or advantage. – L'Estrange.

BY'-GONE, a.

Past; gone by. [Scots dialect.] – Grew.

BY'-IN-TER-EST, n.

Self-interest; private advantage. – Atterbury.

BY'-LANE, n.

A private lane, or one out of the usual road.

BY'-LAW, n.

A town law; the law of a city, town or private corporation. – Bacon.

BY'-MAT-TER, n.

Something incidental. – Bacon.

BY'-NAME, n.

Nickname; incidental appellation. – Camden.

BY'-NAME, v.t.

To give a nickname to. – Camden.

BY'PAS-SAGE, n.

A passage by the by or way; or a byway.

BY'-PAST, a.

Past; gone by. [Scots dialect.] – Cheyne.

BY'-PATH, n.

A private path; an obscure way. – Shak.

BY-RE-SPECT', n.

Private end, or view. – Bacon. Dryden.

BY'-ROAD, n.

A private or obscure road. – Swift.

BY'-ROOM, n.

A private room or apartment. – Shak.

BY'-SPEECH, n.

An incidental or casual speech, not directly relating to the point. – Hooker.

BY'-SPELL, n. [Sax. bigspell.]

A proverb. [Not used.] – Coles.

BYS'SIN, or BYS'SUS, n. [Gr. βυσσος, infra.]

1. A silk or linen hood. [Not in use.] – Gower.
2. The thread or fibers by which the genera Pinna, Byssoana and other animals attach themselves to extraneous bodies.

BYS'SINE, a.

Made of silk. – Coles.

BYS'SO-LITE, n. [Gr. βυσσος, fine flax, and λιθος, stone; so called from its resemblance to moss.]

A rare mineral, occurring in very delicate filaments, short, flexible and elastic. Their color is olive green, or brownish yellow, and their luster a little silky. Jameson places byssolite under actinolite; Haüy arranges it under amianthoid. – Husman. Saussure. Cleaveland.

BYS'SUS, n. [L. byssus; Gr. βυσσος, fine linen, or cotton.]

1. Fine linen, silk, &c.
2. The asbestus, composed of parallel fibers, is by some called by this name. – Nicholson.

BYS'SUS, n.

Beard in shells, as in Mytilus and Pinna.