Definition

1. Noun:
   • An illegitimate child; a child born to unmarried parents: The term "by-blow" is an archaic and often derogatory word referring to a person born out of wedlock. It emphasizes the child's status as being outside of a formal marriage.

Usage

• The word "by-blow" is considered outdated and offensive in modern usage. It is primarily found in historical texts or literature. When discussing this concept today, more neutral terms like "illegitimate child" or "child born out of wedlock" are preferred, though even these can carry historical stigma.

Examples

• Noun:
  • In the Victorian novel, the lord's secret by-blow was revealed, causing a scandal.
  • The old records listed him merely as a by-blow, with no claim to the family name.

Advanced Usage

• The term can sometimes be used metaphorically to describe something that is an unintended or secondary consequence, though this usage is very rare and stems from its original meaning of an "incidental strike" or "side blow."
  • The policy reform was a by-blow of the larger economic crisis. (This usage is highly figurative and uncommon.)

Variants and Related Words

• Illegitimate child (n): A more standard, though now also somewhat dated, term for a child born to parents not legally married.
• Love child (n): A euphemistic and sometimes less pejorative term for the same concept.
• Natural child (n): An archaic legal term for a child born out of wedlock.

Synonyms

• Bastard: A direct synonym that is also archaic and highly offensive.
• Illegitimate offspring: A more formal descriptive phrase.

Notes on Meaning

• The primary and almost exclusive meaning of "by-blow" is the illegitimate child. The other historical meanings referenced in some dictionaries (e.g., "an incidental strike" or "a lucky chance") are obsolete and unrelated to the primary definition provided. The modern understanding of the word is solely tied to its use referring to a person's birth status.

Noun

1. the illegitimate offspring of unmarried parents