bye-bye

[ interjection bahy-bahy; noun adverb bahy-bahy ]

interjection

1. Informal. goodbye.

noun

1. Baby Talk. sleep.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bye-bye¹

1700–10; apparently originally nursery phrase used to lull a child to sleep, later construed as reduplicative form of bye, short for goodbye

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. go bye-bye, Baby Talk.
   1. to leave; depart; go out.
   2. to go to sleep; go to bed.

Example Sentences

The bye bye is being sung, incidentally, by mothers to their babies condemned to death by King Herod.

From The Daily Beast

Her very first performance onstage came at the age of 4, when she cameoed as a dancing flower in the musical Bye Bye Birdie.

From The Daily Beast

The year before that, West Side Story and Bye Bye Birdie were huge sellers.

From The Daily Beast

“Bye Bye Birdie” actor Dick Van Dyke and his wife were saved by a couple of Good Samaritans when their car went up in smoke.

From The Daily Beast

I was a pretty decent Conrad Birdie in my high school production of Bye Bye Birdie.

From The Daily Beast

“Bye-bye, Willie,” sang out Harvey, looking back and waving his cap derisively.

From Project Gutenberg

More than once she had left him with a laconic "Bye-bye," and he had spent a miserable evening before an unsympathetic fire.

From Project Gutenberg

Prompted by Nanna, Jack screamed out: "Bye-bye, mummy; come back happy."

From Project Gutenberg

Bye-bye, Mamma, with your little cabin and your boys; some day you will have peace and plenty.

From Project Gutenberg

To live in the Bye-bye Meadow was sometimes a dangerous thing, for all the big people lived there.

From Project Gutenberg