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by-blow

American  
[bahy-bloh] / ˈbaɪˌbloʊ /

noun

  1. an incidental or accidental blow.

  2. Also bye-blow an illegitimate child; bastard.


by-blow British  

noun

  1. a passing or incidental blow

  2. an archaic word for a bastard

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of by-blow

First recorded in 1585–95; by- + blow 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Our idea of religion is a by-blow of the Reformation, a Protestant concept foregrounding a personal state of mind and creedal beliefs.

From The Wall Street Journal Oct. 31, 2025

Though the Senate has already voted three times to repeal it, Long's crusade for his by-blow brainchild has been pressed with a fanatic zeal that has eroded the almost illimitable patience of his colleagues.

From Time Magazine Archive

As a by-blow of the Foreign Ministers Conference in Brussels, the Big Three agreed that they would send a conditional yes to the Big Fourth's proposal for another talk on Germany.

From Time Magazine Archive

Chief humiliator is Uncle Arthur Blake, Squire of Breetholm Manor, who takes his elder brother's by-blow into service, spends a futile year trying to break his spirit.

From Time Magazine Archive

Maybe Locke should also remember that I am merely one of the by-blow children of Madoc’s human wife.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black

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