passerby

American  

[pas-er-bahy, -bahy, pah-ser-] / ˈpæs ərˈbaɪ, -ˌbaɪ, ˈpɑ sər- /

Or passer-by

noun

plural

passersby

1. a person passing by.

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Etymology

Origin of passerby

1560–70; pass by + -er ¹, with postposing of the particle

Example Sentences

Groups of passersby stopped outside the city’s La Carlota air base—one of the sites targeted in Saturday’s military incursion —to take photos, exchanging pleasantries as they snapped photos of the bombed site.

From The Wall Street Journal

On Friday, police pulled back a cordon around the bar, allowing passersby to see it up close.

From The Wall Street Journal

There was no expectation of notice, but a passerby took a photo and posted it online.

From The Wall Street Journal

The ugly stories told by fellow cast members, directors, agents and innocent passersby have been recounted for years, perhaps most notoriously in the history “Live From New York” by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller.

From The Wall Street Journal

This time around, the thieves escaped on foot, struggling to carry the cumbersome frames down the street as passersby pushed past unaware.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• eyewitness
• observer
• onlooker
• spectator