hard by

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English

Adverb

hard by (not comparable)

  1. (dated) nearby; in close proximity.
    • c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :
      He attendeth here hard by,
      To know your answer, whether you'll admit him.
    • 1660 February 11 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Samuel Pepys, Mynors Bright, transcriber, “February 1st, 1659–1660”, in Henry B[enjamin] Wheatley, editor, The Diary of Samuel Pepys , volume I, London: George Bell & Sons ; Cambridge: Deighton Bell & Co., published 1893, →OCLC, page 339:
      So the Comptroller and I thence to a tavern hard by, and there did agree upon drawing up some letters to be sent to all the pursers and Clerks of the Cheques to make up their accounts.
    • 1698, Ned Ward, The London Spy:
      After we had dispatched our compliments to each other, and I had awkwardly returned in country scrapes his a la mode bows and cringes, he needs must prevail with me to join him at a tavern hard by and dine with some gentlemen of his acquaintance.
    • 1885–1888, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, now Entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night , Shammar edition, volume (please specify the volume), : Burton Club , →OCLC:
      So I took a great dry gourd and, cutting open the head, scooped out the inside and cleaned it; after which I gathered grapes from a vine which grew hard by and squeezed them into the gourd, till it was full of the juice. Then I stopped up the mouth and set in the sun, where I left it for some days, until it became strong wine; and every day I used to drink of it, to comfort and sustain me under my fatigues with that from froward and obstinate fiend; and as often as I drank myself drunk, I forgot my troubles and took new heart.

Preposition

hard by

  1. (dated) Close to; near; in proximity to; next to.
    He was laid to rest hard by the same church where he was once baptised.
    • 1964, Philip K. Dick, The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch:
      In a bar hard by P. P. Layouts, Richard Hnatt sat sipping a Tequila Sour.
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