# bye

Pronunciation: say "BY" /baɪ/

## Interjection

1. A casual word used when parting from someone or ending a conversation. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A casual way to say goodbye when leaving someone.
   - _Bye, thanks for stopping by this afternoon._
   - _“Bye!” he said, then hung up the phone and got back to work._
3. An exclamation used to express disbelief or to dismiss what someone has said. *(slang)*
   - Simple: A word used to show you don't believe something or to brush it off.
   - _Bye, like I'd ever believe that story._
   - _When he claimed he'd cooked the whole meal, she just said, "Bye."_

## Noun

2. The position of a player or team that draws no opponent in a given round and so advances unopposed, or is credited with a win in the standings; also the imaginary opponent itself.
   - Simple: A spot in a contest where a player or team has no opponent in a round and moves on without playing.
   - _The top seed received a bye into the quarterfinals._
   - _Because only thirteen teams entered the tournament, the top three seeds were given first-round byes._
4. An extra run scored when the batters take runs after the ball passes the striker without touching the bat or the batter.
   - Simple: In cricket, a run scored after the ball passes the batter without touching the bat or body.
   - _England added a bye when the ball slipped past the keeper._
   - _Several byes crept into the total during a wild over._

## Noun

5. Something not aimed at directly; a side matter, such as a secondary goal, course, path, or undertaking. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Something that is not the main goal, but a side aim or extra matter.

## Other meanings

- (adjective) Of secondary importance; supplementary rather than the main thing.
- (adjective) Out of the way; located in a remote or little-traveled spot.
- (noun) A pass; a player's decision to forgo bidding or playing during a card game.
- (noun) An unnamed or unspecified way or place.

## Origin

**Meanings 2, 4–5** — Old English bī ("being near") gave the word by, and bye is simply another form of it.
**Meanings 1, 3** — A shortened form of "goodbye."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/bye (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).