Definition of pass

What does the word pass mean?

• part of speech: verb transitive, intransitive

  (p.p. passed or as adj. past). 1. intr. Move onward, proceed, (along, down, over, on, &c.); circulate, be current; p. for, be accepted as; p. (be currently known) by the name of; be transported from place to place; change (into something, from one state to another); die (now usu. p. hence, p. from among us, &c.); go by, as saw the procession p., time passes rapidly, remarks p. unnoticed; come to an end, as kingdoms& nations p.; get through, effect a passage; go uncensured, be accepted as adequate; (of bill in Parliament, proposal, &c.) be sanctioned; (of candidate) satisfy examiner; happen, be done or said, as I saw or heard what was passing; adjudicate (upon); (of judgment) be given (for plaintiff &c.); (Cards) forgo one\'s opportunity, e.g. of making trump, (also) throw up one\'s hand. 2. trans. Leave (thing &c.) on one side or behind as one goes; go across (sea, frontier, mountain-range); (of bill) be examined& approved by (House of Commons &c.); reach standard required by (examiner, examination); p. MUSTER; outstrip; surpass; be too great for, as it passes my comprehension; transport (usu. w. prep. or adv.); move, cause to go, as passed his hand across his forehead, p. your eye (glance) over this letter, p. a rope round it; cause to go by, as p. (troops) in review; cause, allow, (measure in Parliament, candidate for examination, &c.) to proceed after scrutiny; spend (time, the winter, &c.); hand round, transfer, as read this& p. it on; give currency to (coin, esp. base coin); pledge (one\'s word, oath, &c.); utter (criticism, judicial sentence, upon); p. the TIME of day. 3. Spec. senses w. advv. & prepp.: p. away, die, come to an end; p. by (adv. or prep.), omit, disregard; p. off, (of sensations &c.) disappear gradually, (of proceedings) be carried through (without a hitch &c.), (trans.) palm off (thing upon person for or as what it is not); p. over (adv. or prep.), omit, make no remark upon, as p. over his subsequent conduct, p. it over in silence; p. through, experience. [French]

• part of speech: noun

  Passing, esp. of examination; (Univv.) attainment of standard that satisfies examiners but does not entitle to honours; bring to p., accomplish, carry out; come to p., happen; critical position, as things have come to a strange p.; written permission to pass into or out of a place; (usu. free p.) ticket authorizing holder to travel free on railway &c.; thrust in fencing; juggling trick; passing of hands over anything, esp. in mesmerism; p.-book, book supplied by bank to person having current or deposit account, showing all sums deposited& drawn; p.-key, private key to gate &c. for special purposes, (also) master-key; passman, one who takes p. degree at university; password, watchword. [French]

• part of speech: noun

  Narrow passage through mountains; (Mil.) place commanding such passage viewed as key to a country; navigable channel, esp. at river\'s mouth; passage for fish over weir. [French]