by-path

or by·path

[ bahy-path, -pahth ]

/ ˈbaɪˌpæθ, -ˌpɑθ /

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noun, plural by-paths

[bahy-pathz, -pahthz, -paths, -pahths]. /ˈbaɪˌpæðz, -ˌpɑðz, -ˌpæθs, -ˌpɑθs/.

a private path or an indirect or secondary course or means; byway.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of by-path

1325–75; Middle English bi path.See by (adj.), path

Words nearby by-path

bypass, bypass capacitor, bypass engine, bypass ratio, bypast, by-path, by-play, by-plot, by-product, Byrd, Byrd Land

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use by-path in a sentence

We see detoxing as a path to transcendence, a symbol of modern urban virtue and self-transformation through abstinence.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The anti-crime cops began searching the likely path of flight.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Senhor José remains stationary, but this lengthy series of clauses propels the reader along an unmarked path.
The Lost Novel of Nobel-Winner José Saramago|Charles Shafaieh|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A step-by-step plan to break from your various technology addictions.
Can Self-Help Books Really Make a New You?|Lizzie Crocker|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The flight path remained close to the Indonesian archipelago, well within what is the normal reach of air traffic control radar.
Did Bad Weather Bring Down AirAsia 8501?|Clive Irving|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
All along the highways and by-paths of our literature we encounter much that pertains to this "queen of plants."
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
"But I can't stop to argue about it now;" and, saying this, he turned into a side path, and disappeared in the wood.
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
I presume this path does not extend many miles without meeting impediments.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
John was baptizing at a large pool called Ænon-by-Saleim,—probably allegorical, meaning “Fountain of Repose.”
Solomon and Solomonic Literature|Moncure Daniel Conway
The sewing-machine made a resounding clatter in the room; it was of a ponderous, by-gone make.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

British Dictionary definitions for by-path

bypath

/ (ˈbaɪˌpɑːθ) /

noun

a little-used path or track, esp in the country

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