pass¹ Definition
pass (pas, päs)
pass² Definition
pass (pas, päs)
intransitive verb
- to go or move forward, through, or out
- to extend; lead a road passing around the hill
- to be handed on or circulated from person to person
- to go, change, or be conveyed from one place, form, condition, circumstance, possession, etc. to another
- to be spoken or exchanged between persons, as greetings
- to cease; come to an end: often with away the fever passed
- to go away; depart
- to die: now usually with away or on
- to go by; move by or past
- to slip by or elapse an hour passed
- to get or make a way: with through or by
- to go, take place, or be accepted without question, dispute, or challenge
- to gain acceptance as a member of a group by assuming an identity with it in denial of one's ancestry, background, etc.
- to be sanctioned, ratified, or approved by some authority, as a legislative body
- to go through a trial, test, examination, or course of study successfully; satisfy given requirements or standards
- to be barely acceptable as a substitute
- to happen; take place; occur
- to sit in inquest or judgment
- to give a judgment, opinion, or sentence; decide (on or upon a matter)
- to be rendered or pronounced the judgment passed against us
- to be expelled, as from the bowels
- Card Games to decline, when it is one's turn, a chance to bid, play a round, etc.
- Craps to make a winning throw (of the dice) in craps
- Sports to attempt or complete a pass of the ball, puck, etc.
Etymology: ME passen < OFr passer < VL *passare < L passus, a step: see pace
transitive verb
- to go by, beyond, past, over, or through; specif.,
- to leave behind to pass others in a race
- to undergo; experience: usually with through
- to go by without noticing; disregard; ignore to pass one's bus stop
- ☆ to omit the payment of (a regular dividend)
- to go through (a trial, test, examination, course of study, etc.) successfully; satisfy the requirements or standards of
- to go beyond or above the powers or limits of; surpass; excel
- Archaic to cross; traverse
- to cause or allow to go, move, or proceed; specif.,
- to send; dispatch
- to cause to move in a certain way; direct the movement of to pass a comb through one's hair
- to guide into position to pass a rope around a stake
- to cause to go through, or penetrate
- to cause to move past to pass troops in review
- to cause or allow to get by an obstacle, obstruction, etc.
- to cause or allow to stand approved; ratify; sanction; enact; approve
- to cause or allow to go through an examination, test, etc. successfully
- to allow to go by or elapse; spend: often with away to pass a pleasant hour
- to discharge or expel from the bowels, bladder, etc.; excrete; void
- ☆ Baseball to walk (a batter)
- to cause to move from place to place or person to person; transport or transmit; specif.,
- to hand to another pass the salt
- to cause to be in circulation to pass a bad check
- to hand, throw, or hit (a ball, puck, etc.) from one player to another
- to hit a tennis ball past (an opponent) so as to score a point
- Rare to pledge
- to pronounce or give (an opinion or judgment)
- to utter (a remark)
- to manipulate (cards, etc.) or trick (a person), as by sleight of hand
noun
- an act of passing; passage
- the successful completion of a scholastic course or examination, esp. if without honors
- a mark, etc. indicating this
- condition or situation a strange pass
- a ticket, certificate, etc. giving permission or authorization to come or go freely or without charge
- a ticket at a fixed price that permits unlimited rides, as on a bus or train for a specified period
- Mil. a written leave of absence for a brief period
- a motion of the hands that is meant to deceive, as in card tricks or magic; sleight of hand
- a motion or stroke of the hand, as in mesmerism or hypnotism
- a motion of the hand as if to strike
- a tentative attempt
- Informal a proposal of sexual intimacy, or an attempt to embrace, or kiss, as in seeking sexual intimacy
- Aeron. a flight over a specified point or at a target
- Card Games a declining to bid, play a round, etc. when it is one's turn
- Craps a winning throw (of the dice)
- Sports
- an intentional transfer of the ball, puck, etc. to another player during play; also, an attempt to do so, whether or not successful
- a lunge or thrust made in fencing
- ☆ a walk in baseball
Etymology: Fr passe < passer (see passthe ); partly < the ModE v.
pass² Related Forms
pass² Idioms
bring to pass
to cause to come about or happen
come to pass
to come about or happen
pass for
to be accepted or looked upon as: usually said of an imitation or counterfeit
pass off
- to come to an end; cease
- to take place; go through, as a transaction
- to be accepted or cause to be accepted as genuine, true, etc., esp. through deceit
pass out
- to distribute
- to become unconscious; faint
pass over
- to disregard; ignore; omit
- to leave (someone) out of consideration in promotions, appointments, etc.
pass someone's lips
- to be eaten or drunk by someone
- to be said by someone
pass up
☆Informal to reject, refuse, or let go by to pass up an opportunity
pass³ Definition
pass
- passage
- passenger
- passive
pass Synonyms
pass
n.
An opening through mountains
defile, gorge, ravine, crossing, track, way, path, passageway, water gap, col (French); see also route 1.A document assuring permission to pass
permit, ticket, passport, visa, order, admission, furlough, permission, right, license; see also permit.In sports, the passing of the ball from one player to another
toss, throw, hurl, fling, flip; see also pitch 2.Types of passes, sense 3, include: forward, lateral, line, bounce, touchdown pass*, bullet*, shovel*, spot*, flat*, passback*, snapback*.
*An advance
approach, sexual overture, proposition, move; see suggestion 1.
pass Synonyms
pass
v.
To move past
go by, go past, run by, run past, flit by, come by, shoot ahead of, catch, come to the front, go beyond, roll on, fly past, reach, roll by, cross, flow past, glide by, go in opposite directions, blow over*; see also move 1.To elapse
transpire, slip away, slip by, pass away, pass by, fly, fly by, linger, glide by, run out, drag, crawl. To complete a course successfully
matriculate, be graduated, pass with honors, qualify; see succeed 1.To hand to others
transfer, relinquish, hand over; see give 1.To enact
To become enacted
carry, become law, become valid, be ratified, be established, be ordained, be sanctioned. To refuse to act
decline, ignore, omit, skip a turn; see disregard, neglect 1, refuse.To exceed
To spend time
To pronounce formally
To proceed
To emit
bring to pass
come to pass
pass Usage Examples
Object
- resolution: Hornsea is making good progress toward becoming a Fairtrade Town with the Town Council passing a resolution to support Fairtrade in April.
- exam: However, he was the first BTA level 1 referee to pass the exam with 100 % .
- test: There he may meet and pass certain tests, and be aided by further helpers or tools.
- urine: The result has been PAIN whenever I pass urine!
- ball: We passed the ball around well, moved around well and really competed when we had to.
- examination: They will then be trained on the job, passing professional examinations.
Preposition: on
aye: There was no formal opposition the motion was passed on a general aye.
Preposition: through
gate: Since Gripper's departure, many bullies have passed through the gates of Grange Hill.
Adjective modifier
- concessionary: Therefore concessionary passes are not issued until a few weeks into the academic year.
- ski: I borrow her coat - shame to waste the rest of her ski pass.
Adjective complement
unnoticed: Sadly this important anniversary appeared to pass unnoticed by the photographic community in England.
Noun used with modifier
- lift: The regional lift pass covers 57 lifts in villages scattered across the Upper Engadine.
- bus: Learners without a bus pass may be refused travel.
Preposition: in
blur: The Autumn Equinox passed in a blur and Samhain was spent at a computer conference.
Preposition: under
bridge: After about half a mile, this road passes under a railroad bridge and goes uphill.
Followed by an intransitive particle
- through: Whether you are on holiday, business, visiting friends or just passing through, you are assured of a warm, friendly welcome.
- on: Do you have any diving tips you would like to pass on or perhaps tell people about any diving courses or scuba diving clubs.
- over: The mass murder of millions, planned with such unique thoroughness, is often passed over in barely a sentence.
- along: David has agreed to pass along his work to interested parties.
Modifies a noun
mark: The pass mark for each written examination is 30 % .
Browse dictionary entries near pass
- ‹ pasquinade
- ‹ pasqueflower
- ‹ pasodoble
- ‹ Pasiphaë
- ‹ Pashtun
- ‹ Pashto
- ‹ pashmina
- ‹ pashalik
- ‹ pasha
- ‹ pash
- pass away ›
- pass-band filter ›
- pass by ›
- passé ›
- pass-fail ›
- pass judgment ›
- pass off ›
- pass on ›
- pass out ›
- pass over ›

