Definition

1. Noun:
   • A farewell remark: A word or phrase said when leaving or parting from someone.
   • A free pass to the next round: In sports tournaments, a situation where a competitor or team advances to the next round without having to play because there is no opponent.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Farewell):

  • She gave a quick bye and left the room.
  • We said our byes and promised to meet again soon.

• Noun (Sports):

  • The top-seeded player received a bye in the first round.
  • Our team got a bye, so we automatically qualified for the semi-finals.

Advanced Usage

• "Bye-bye": An informal, often childlike or affectionate, way of saying goodbye.
  • The toddler waved and said, "Bye-bye!"
• "Bye for now": A common phrase indicating a temporary farewell.
  • It's getting late, so bye for now!

Variants and Related Words

• Goodbye (n): A more formal or standard term for a farewell.
  • He said his goodbyes to everyone at the party.
• Bye-bye (interjection/noun): Informal variant of "bye."

Synonyms

• Farewell: A formal expression used when parting.
• Adieu: A French-derived word meaning goodbye, often used for dramatic or final partings.
• Free pass (Sports context): A synonym for the tournament advancement without playing.

Related Phrases

• By the bye (or by the by): An idiomatic phrase meaning "incidentally" or "by the way," used to introduce a side comment.
  • By the bye, did you remember to call your mother?

Notes

The word "bye" is primarily used as a noun in modern English. The adjectival sense ("secondary" or "incidental") referenced in some historical or specialized contexts (e.g., "bye road") is now largely obsolete in common usage. The prevalent meanings are the farewell remark and the sports term. The phrase "by the bye" retains the older, incidental meaning.

Noun

1. a farewell remark
   • they said their good-byes
2. you advance to the next round in a tournament without playing an opponent
   • he had a bye in the first round