Dictionary Home » Dictionary Definitions » pass

pass

Listen See in Thesaurus See in a sentence

To pass means to go by or move through or out of something. (verb)

An example of pass is when your car is going faster than the one next to you and you pull in front of it and go by it.

To pass is to successfully complete or finish something. (noun)

An example of pass is when you finish a college class successfully.

Pass means to hand something off to someone else or to refrain from doing something. (verb)

An example of pass is when you hand someone the peas at dinner.
An example of pass is when you skip going to the party.

See pass in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

a narrow passage or opening, esp. between mountains; gap; defile

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
1. to cease; come to an end: often with away: the fever passed
2. 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
1. to go, take place, or be accepted without question, dispute, or challenge
2. 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
1. to go through a trial, test, examination, or course of study successfully; satisfy given requirements or standards
2. to be barely acceptable as a substitute
to happen; take place; occur
1. to sit in inquest or judgment
2. 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.

transitive verb

to go by, beyond, past, over, or through; specif.,
1. to leave behind: to pass others in a race
2. to undergo; experience: usually with through
3. to go by without noticing; disregard; ignore: to pass one's bus stop
4. ☆ to omit the payment of (a regular dividend)
5. to go through (a trial, test, examination, course of study, etc.) successfully; satisfy the requirements or standards of
6. to go beyond or above the powers or limits of; surpass; excel
7. Archaic to cross; traverse
to cause or allow to go, move, or proceed; specif.,
1. to send; dispatch
2. to cause to move in a certain way; direct the movement of: to pass a comb through one's hair
3. to guide into position: to pass a rope around a stake
4. to cause to go through, or penetrate
5. to cause to move past: to pass troops in review
6. to cause or allow to get by an obstacle, obstruction, etc.
7. to cause or allow to stand approved; ratify; sanction; enact; approve
8. to cause or allow to go through an examination, test, etc. successfully
9. to allow to go by or elapse; spend: often with away: to pass a pleasant hour
10. to discharge or expel from the bowels, bladder, etc.; excrete; void
11. ☆ Baseball to walk (a batter)
to cause to move from place to place or person to person; transport or transmit; specif.,
1. to hand to another: pass the salt
2. to cause to be in circulation: to pass a bad check
3. to hand, throw, or hit (a ball, puck, etc.) from one player to another
4. to hit a tennis ball past (an opponent) so as to score a point
Rare to pledge
1. to pronounce or give (an opinion or judgment)
2. to utter (a remark)
to manipulate (cards, etc.) or trick (a person), as by sleight of hand

noun

an act of passing; passage
1. the successful completion of a scholastic course or examination, esp. if without honors
2. a mark, etc. indicating this
condition or situation: a strange pass
1. a ticket, certificate, etc. giving permission or authorization to come or go freely or without charge
2. a ticket at a fixed price that permits unlimited rides, as on a bus or train for a specified period
3. 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
1. a motion of the hand as if to strike
2. 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
1. an intentional transfer of the ball, puck, etc. to another player during play; also, an attempt to do so, whether or not successful
2. a lunge or thrust made in fencing
3. ☆ a walk in baseball

Related Forms:

passer noun

passage
passenger
passive

See pass in American Heritage Dictionary 4

(păs)

verb passed, pass·ing, pass·es

verb, intransitive

To move on or ahead; proceed.
To extend; run: The river passes through our land.
a. To move by: The band passed and the crowd cheered.
b. To move past another vehicle: The sports car passed on the right.
To gain passage despite obstacles: pass through difficult years.
To move past in time; elapse: The days passed quickly.
a. To be transferred from one to another; circulate: The wine passed around the table.
b. Sports To transfer a ball or puck to a teammate.
To be communicated or exchanged between persons: Loud words passed in the corridor.
To be transferred or conveyed to another by will or deed: The title passed to the older heir.
To undergo transition from one condition, form, quality, or characteristic to another: Daylight passed into darkness.
To come to an end: My anger suddenly passed. The headache finally passed.
To cease to exist; die. Often used with on: The patient passed on during the night.
To happen; take place: What passed during the day?
a. To be allowed to happen without notice or challenge: Let their rude remarks pass.
b. Sports & Games To decline one's turn to bid, draw, bet, compete, or play.
c. To decline an offer: When we offered him dessert, he passed.
To undergo an examination or a trial with favorable results.
a. To serve as a barely acceptable substitute: The spare tire was nearly bald but would pass until we bought a new one.
b. To be accepted as a member of a group by denying one's own ancestry or background.
To be approved or adopted: The motion to adjourn passed.
Law
a. To pronounce an opinion, judgment, or sentence.
b. To sit in adjudication.
To be voided: Luckily the kidney stone passed before she had to be hospitalized.
Sports To thrust or lunge in fencing.

verb, transitive

To go by without stopping; leave behind.
a. To go by without paying attention to; disregard or ignore: If you pass the new photographs in the collection, you'll miss some outstanding ones.
b. To fail to pay (a dividend).
To go beyond; surpass: The inheritance passed my wildest dreams.
To go across; go through: We passed the border into Mexico.
a. To undergo (a trial or examination) with favorable results: She passed every test.
b. To cause or allow to go through a trial, test, or examination successfully: The instructor passed all the candidates.
a. To cause to move: We passed our hands over the fabric.
b. To cause to move into a certain position: pass a ribbon around a package.
c. To cause to move as part of a process: pass liquid through a filter.
d. To cause to go by: The sergeant passed his troops before the general and halted them at the grandstand.
e. Baseball To walk (a batter).
f. To maneuver (the bull) by means of a pase in bullfighting.
To allow to go by or elapse; spend: He passed his winter in Vermont.
To allow to cross a barrier: The border guard passed the tourists.
a. To cause to be transferred from one to another; circulate: They passed the news quickly.
b. To hand over to someone else: Please pass the bread.
c. Sports To transfer (a ball, for example) to a teammate, as by throwing.
d. To cause to be accepted; circulate fraudulently: pass counterfeit money.
e. Law To transfer title or ownership of.
To discharge (body waste, for example); void.
a. To approve; adopt: The legislature passed the bill.
b. To be sanctioned, ratified, or approved by: The bill passed the House of Representatives.
To pronounce; utter: pass judgment; pass sentence on an offender.

noun

The act of passing; passage.
A way, such as a narrow gap between mountains, that affords passage around, over, or through a barrier. See Synonyms at way.
a. A permit, ticket, or authorization to come and go at will.
b. A free ticket entitling one to transportation or admisssion.
c. Written leave of absence from military duty.
a. A sweep or run, as by an aircraft, over or toward an area or target.
b. A single complete cycle of operations, as by a machine or computer program.
A condition or situation, often critical in nature; a predicament. See Synonyms at crisis.
A sexual invitation or overture.
A motion of the hand or the waving of a wand.
a. Sports A transfer of a ball or puck between teammates.
b. Sports A lunge or thrust in fencing.
c. Baseball A base on balls.
Sports & Games A refusal to bid, draw, bet, compete, or play.
Games A winning throw of the dice in craps.
A pase in bullfighting.

Phrasal Verbs: pass away To pass out of existence; end. To die. pass for To be accepted as or believed to be: You could pass for a teenager. The fake painting passed for an original. pass off To offer, sell, or put into circulation (an imitation) as genuine: pass off glass as a gemstone. To present (one's self) as other than what one is: tried to pass himself off as a banker. pass out To lose consciousness. pass over To leave out; disregard. pass up Informal To let go by; reject: pass up a chance for promotion; an opportunity too good to pass up.

Related Forms:

passˈer noun

Usage Note: The past tense and past participle of pass is passed: They passed (or have passed) our home. Time had passed slowly. Past is the corresponding adjective (in centuries past), adverb (drove past), preposition (past midnight), and noun (lived in the past).

(păs), Joe Originally Joseph Anthony Jacobi Passalaqua. 1929-1994.

American jazz guitarist noted for his exceptional technique.

Learn more about pass

» pass synonyms

» pass abbreviations & acronyms

» pass medical definition

» pass phrase meanings

» pass sentence examples

» pass quote examples

link/cite print suggestion box