aby

or a·bye

[ uh-bahy ]

verb (used with object),past and past participle a·bought.
  1. Archaic. to pay the penalty of.

verb (used without object),past and past participle a·bought.Obsolete.
  1. to endure; continue.

  2. to undergo suffering as a penalty.

Origin of aby

1
before 1100; Middle English abyen,Old English ābycgan.See a-3, buy

Words Nearby aby

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use aby in a sentence

  • Old Mollett turned round to strike at his son; but even in his present state he was somewhat quelled by aby's eye.

    Castle Richmond | Anthony Trollope

British Dictionary definitions for aby

aby

abye

/ (əˈbaɪ) /


verbabys, abyes, abying or abought
  1. (tr) archaic to pay the penalty for; redeem

Origin of aby

1
Old English ābycgan to pay for, atone for, from bycgan to buy

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012