Search

[pas] /pæs/

noun
1.
Joe (Joseph Anthony Jacobi Passalaqua) 1929–94, U.S. jazz guitarist.
/pɑːs/
verb
1.
to go onwards or move by or past (a person, thing, etc)
2.
to run, extend, or lead through, over, or across (a place): the route passes through the city
3.
to go through or cause to go through (an obstacle or barrier): to pass a needle through cloth
4.
to move or cause to move onwards or over: he passed his hand over her face
5.
(transitive) to go beyond or exceed: this victory passes all expectation
6.
to gain or cause to gain an adequate or required mark, grade, or rating in (an examination, course, etc): the examiner passed them all
7.
often foll by away or by. to elapse or allow to elapse: we passed the time talking
8.
pass the time of day with someone, to spend time amicably with someone, esp in chatting, with no particular purpose
9.
(intransitive) to take place or happen: what passed at the meeting?
10.
to speak or exchange or be spoken or exchanged: angry words passed between them
11.
to spread or cause to spread: we passed the news round the class
12.
to transfer or exchange or be transferred or exchanged: the bomb passed from hand to hand
13.
(intransitive) to undergo change or transition: to pass from joy to despair
14.
when tr, often foll by down. to transfer or be transferred by inheritance: the house passed to the younger son
15.
to agree to or sanction or to be agreed to or receive the sanction of a legislative body, person of authority, etc: the assembly passed 10 resolutions
16.
(transitive) (of a legislative measure) to undergo (a procedural stage) and be agreed: the bill passed the committee stage
17.
when tr, often foll by on or upon. to pronounce or deliver (judgment, findings, etc): the court passed sentence
18.
to go or allow to go without comment or censure: the intended insult passed unnoticed
19.
(intransitive) to opt not to exercise a right, as by not answering a question or not making a bid or a play in card games
20.
(physiol) to discharge (urine, faeces, etc) from the body
21.
pass water, to urinate
22.
(intransitive) to come to an end or disappear: his anger soon passed
23.
(intransitive; usually foll by for or as) to be likely to be mistaken for or accepted as (someone or something else): you could easily pass for your sister
24.
(intransitive; foll by away, on, or over) a euphemism for die1 (sense 1)
25.
(transitive) (mainly US) to fail to declare (a dividend)
26.
(intransitive; usually foll by on or upon) (mainly US) (of a court, jury, etc) to sit in judgment; adjudicate
27.
(sport) to hit, kick, or throw (the ball) to another player
28.
(archaic) bring to pass, to cause to happen
29.
come to pass, to happen
noun
30.
the act of passing
31.

32.
a way through any difficult region
33.
a permit, licence, or authorization to do something without restriction: she has a pass to visit the museum on Sundays
34.

35.
(Brit)

36.
a dive, sweep, or bombing or landing run by an aircraft
37.
a motion of the hand or of a wand as a prelude to or part of a conjuring trick
38.
(informal) an attempt, in words or action, to invite sexual intimacy (esp in the phrase make a pass at)
39.
a state of affairs or condition, esp a bad or difficult one (esp in the phrase a pretty pass)
40.
(sport) the transfer of a ball from one player to another
41.
(fencing) a thrust or lunge with a sword
42.
(bridge) the act of passing (making no bid)
43.
(bullfighting) a variant of pase
44.
(archaic) a witty sally or remark
interjection
45.
(bridge) a call indicating that a player has no bid to make
v.

late 13c. (transitive) “to go by (something),” also “to cross over,” from Old French passer (11c.), from Vulgar Latin *passare “to step, walk, pass” (cf. Spanish pasar, Italian passare), from Latin passus “step, pace” (see pace (n.)). Intransitive sense of “to go on, to move forward, make one’s way” is attested from c.1300. Figurative sense of “to experience, undergo” (as in pass the time) is first recorded late 14c. Sense of “to go through an examination successfully” is from early 15c. Meaning “decline to do something” is attested from 1869, originally in cards (euchre). In football, hockey, soccer, etc., the meaning “to transfer the ball or puck to another player” is from c.1865. Related: Passed; passing.

The meaning “to be thought to be something one is not” (especially in racial sense) is from 1935, from pass oneself off (as), first found 1809. The general verb sense of “to be accepted as equivalent” is from 1590s. Pass up “decline, refuse” is attested from 1896. Pass the buck is from 1865, said to be poker slang reference to the buck horn-handled knife that was passed around to signify whose turn it was to deal. Pass the hat “seek contributions” is from 1762. Pass-fail as a grading method is attested from 1955, American English.
n.

“mountain defile,” c.1300, from Old French pas “step, track, passage,” from Latin passus “step, pace” (see pace (n.)).

“written permission to pass into, or through, a place,” 1590s, from pass (v.). Sense of “ticket for a free ride or admission” is first found 1838. Colloquial make a pass “offer an amorous advance” first recorded 1928, perhaps from a sporting sense. Phrase come to pass (late 15c.) uses the word with a sense of “completion, accomplishment.”

pass (pās)
v. passed, pass·ing, pass·es

noun phrase

Asexualadvance; proposition (1928+)

verb

Related Terms

make a pass at someone

[in the first verb sense, pass oneself off as is found by 1809]