To decline; choose not to take; PASS something UP: The kid took a bye on breakfast
[1880s+; fr the term bye used when a participant in a tournament passes to the next level without playing, since he or she has drawn no opponent]
The Dictionary of American Slang, Fourth Edition by Barbara Ann Kipfer, PhD. and Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D. Copyright (C) 2007 by HarperCollins Publishers. Cite This Source