by- root words — words with the by- root

The root by- comes from Old English bycgan, meaning to buy, pay for, atone. 1 words in Dendril are built from it, including aby. Dendril shows them on a free interactive word map — no signup, no ads.

Words that use the by- root

Explore words with by- — words containing the by- root and sharing its sense of "to buy, pay for, atone". Examples include aby. Click any word to see its own roots, definition, and related words.

What does by- mean?

The by- root means to buy, pay for, atone, from Old English bycgan. Recognizing it helps you decode and remember the many English words built on this root.