Bye

Sports. in a tournament, the preferential status of a player or team not paired with a competitor in an early round and thus automatically advanced to play in the next round:
The top three seeded players received byes in the first round.
Golf. the holes of a stipulated course still unplayed after the match is finished.
Cricket. a run made on a ball not struck by the batsman.
something subsidiary, secondary, or out of the way.
by1 .
by the bye, by the way; incidentally:
By the bye, how do you spell your name?
Also, by the by.
goodbye.
variant of by-:
bye-election.
goodbye:
By now, come again sometime!
Contemporary Examples

Ryan Braun and Anti-Semites Emily L. Hauser August 19, 2013
The Greatest Role My Father Ever Played Seth Lerer June 15, 2013
The Anti-Ryan Seacrest Ramin Setoodeh November 8, 2011
Blake Bailey: How I Write Noah Charney March 19, 2013
Yes, I Like Christmas Music. Stop Laughing. Michael Tomasky December 23, 2014

Historical Examples

Tales of lonely trails Zane Grey
Harriet, The Moses of Her People Sarah H. Bradford
Beautiful Bulbous Plants John Weathers
Punchinello, Vol. 1, No. 17, July 23, 1870 Various
Marmaduke Merry William H. G. Kingston

noun
(sport) the situation in which a player or team in an eliminatory contest wins a preliminary round by virtue of having no opponent
(golf) one or more holes of a stipulated course that are left unplayed after the match has been decided
(cricket) a run scored off a ball not struck by the batsman: allotted to the team as an extra and not to the individual batsman See also leg bye
something incidental or secondary
by the bye, incidentally; by the way: used as a sentence connector
sentence substitute
(Brit, informal) goodbye
preposition
used to indicate the agent after a passive verb: seeds eaten by the birds
used to indicate the person responsible for a creative work: this song is by Schubert
via; through: enter by the back door
followed by a gerund to indicate a means used: he frightened her by hiding behind the door
beside; next to; near: a tree by the house
passing the position of; past: he drove by the old cottage
not later than; before: return the books by Tuesday
used to indicate extent, after a comparative: it is hotter by five degrees than it was yesterday
(esp in oaths) invoking the name of: I swear by all the gods
multiplied by: four by three equals twelve
(in habitual sentences) during the passing of (esp in the phrases by day, by night)
placed between measurements of the various dimensions of something: a plank fourteen inches by seven
adverb
near: the house is close by
away; aside: he put some money by each week for savings
passing a point near something; past: he drove by
(Scot) past; over and done with: that’s a’ by now
(Scot) aside; behind one: you must put that by you
noun (pl) byes
a variant spelling of bye1
abbreviation
Belarus
prep.

With; as far as concerns: Five skins is jake by me
At; to; at the place of: I’ll buy you a drink by Antek

budget year