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abide by

 - 5 dictionary results

a⋅bide

  [uh-bahyd] verb, a⋅bode or a⋅bid⋅ed, a⋅bid⋅ing.
Use abide by in a Sentence
–verb (used without object)
1. to remain; continue; stay: Abide with me.
2. to have one's abode; dwell; reside: to abide in a small Scottish village.
3. to continue in a particular condition, attitude, relationship, etc.; last.
–verb (used with object)
4. to put up with; tolerate; stand: I can't abide dishonesty!
5. to endure, sustain, or withstand without yielding or submitting: to abide a vigorous onslaught.
6. to wait for; await: to abide the coming of the Lord.
7. to accept without opposition or question: to abide the verdict of the judges.
8. to pay the price or penalty of; suffer for.
—Verb phrase
9. abide by,
a. to act in accord with.
b. to submit to; agree to: to abide by the court's decision.
c. to remain steadfast or faithful to; keep: If you make a promise, abide by it.
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME abiden, OE ābīdan; c. OHG irbītan await, Goth usbeisns expectation, patience. See a- 3 , bide

Related forms:
a⋅bid⋅er, noun

Synonyms:
1. tarry. 2. live. 3. persevere, endure. 4. bear, endure, brook; support.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To abide by
a·bide   (ə-bīd')   
v.   a·bode (ə-bōd') or a·bid·ed, a·bid·ing, a·bides

v.   tr.

  1. To put up with; tolerate: can't abide such incompetence. See Synonyms at bear1.

  2. To wait patiently for: "I will abide the coming of my lord" (Tennyson).

  3. To withstand: a thermoplastic that will abide rough use and great heat.

v.   intr.

  1. To remain in a place.

  2. To continue to be sure or firm; endure. See Synonyms at stay1.

  3. To dwell or sojourn.


[Middle English abiden, from Old English ābīdan : ā-, intensive pref. + bīdan, to remain; see bheidh- in Indo-European roots.]
a·bid'er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

abide 
O.E. abidan, gebidan "remain," from ge- completive prefix (denoting onward motion; see a- (1)) + bidan "bide, remain, wait, dwell" (see bide). Originally intransitive (with genitive of the object: we abidon his "we waited for him"); transitive sense emerged in M.E. Meaning "to put up with" (now usually negative) first recorded 1526. The historical conjugation is abide, abode, abidden, but the modern formation is now generally weak.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: abide
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: abode or abid·ed; abid·ing
: to accept without objection—abide by : to act or behave in accordance with or in obedience to
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Idioms & Phrases

abide by

Accept and act in accordance with a decision or set of rules; also, remain faithful to. For example, All members must agree to abide by the club regulations, or A trustworthy man abides by his word. An older sense of the verb abide, "remain," is still familiar in the well-known 19th-century hymn "Abide with Me," which asks God to stay with the singer in time of trouble. [Early 1500s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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