good·bye or good-bye also good-by (g d-b  )
interj.
Used to express an acknowledgment of parting.
n. pl. good·byes or good-byes also good-bys
1. An acknowledgment at parting, especially by saying "goodbye."
2. An act of parting or leave-taking: many sad goodbyes.
[Alteration (influenced by good day) of God be with you.]
Word History: No doubt more than one reader has wondered exactly how goodbye is derived from t
he phrase "God be with you." Tounderstand this, it is helpful to see earlier forms of the expression,
such as God be wy you, god b'w'y, godbwye, god buy' ye, and good-b'wy. The first word of the expression is now good and not God, for good replaced God by analogy
with such expressions as good day,perhaps after people no longer had a clear idea of the original sense
of the expression. A letter of 1573 written by Gabriel Harveycontains the first recorded use of goodbye:
"To requite your gallonde [gallon] of godbwyes, I regive you a pottle of howdyes," recalling another
contraction that is still used. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
goodbye (ˌɡʊdˈbaɪ)
sentence substitute
1. farewell: a conventional expression used at leave-taking or parting with people and at the loss or rejection of things or ideas
n
2. a leave-taking; parting: they prolonged their goodbyes for a few more minutes.
3. a farewell: they said goodbyes to each other.
[C16: contraction of God be with ye]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
Thesaurus Legend: Synonyms
| Noun | 1. | goodbye - a farewell remark; "they said their good-byes" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
credit/source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/goodbye
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