WHEREBY

Etymology

Adverb

whereby (not comparable)

(interrogative, obsolete) By what, in which direction; how.

By which.

(nonstandard) Where, wherein, in which.

Usage notes

Use of whereby as a formal equivalent of where is nonstandard and is avoided by careful speakers and writers, who use where or in which instead. The term typically fails readability and comprehension review so it is generally avoided in published works. The term is also avoided by speakers as it makes it difficult to understand the message one is trying to communicate.

Source: Wiktionary


Where*by", adv.

1. By which; -- used relatively. "You take my life when you take the means whereby I life." Shak.

2. By what; how; -- used interrogatively. Whereby shall I know this Luke i. 18.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

4 April 2025

GUILLOTINE

(verb) kill by cutting the head off with a guillotine; “The French guillotined many Vietnamese while they occupied the country”


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Coffee Trivia

Contrary to popular belief, coffee beans are not technically beans. They are referred to as such because of their resemblance to legumes. A coffee bean is a seed of the Coffea plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit, often referred to as a cherry. Just like ordinary cherries, the coffee fruit is also a so-called stone fruit.

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