by-talk
(ˈbaɪtɔːk)
Also 9 bye-.
[f. by- 3 c + talk n.]
1. Talk aside; incidental talk away from the main business, or at by-times; irrelevant speech, small talk, tittle-tattle.
| 1563 Foxe A. & M. 820/1 The sayde bishops bytalke..was not muche materiall. 1580 North Plutarch 730 Demosthenes..sought occasions in his by-talk to shew men that he was excellently well learned. 1653 Lilburn Tryed & Cast 126 He knew, by such by-talk and impertinencies..how to take away..their reason. 1815 Scott Guy M. iii, ‘O troth, Laird,’ continued they, during this by-talk, ‘it's but,’ etc. |
† 2. The object or butt of such talk; a byword.
| 1579 Tomson Calvin's Serm. Tim. 292/1 He shalbe made a mocking stock, & a bytalk in euery mans mouth. |