set by

set by

To save or reserve something, especially money, for future use. A noun or pronoun can be used between "set" and "by." If you can set by even $100 a month, it will go a long way toward paying off the loan. Don't throw away all that scrap metal—we can set it by for our next project.

See also: by, set

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

set by

Put aside for future use, as in She had shelves and shelves of cans set by for some imagined food emergency. [Late 1500s] Also see set aside, def. 1; set store by.

See also: by, set

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

set by

v.

To reserve something for future use: It is wise to set food and money by in case of a future emergency.

See also: by, set

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.