verb | noun
passpass1 /pæs/ ●●● S1 W1 verb 1
GO PAST [intransitive, transitive] a)to come up to a particular point or object and go past it SYN go by: They kept quiet until the soldiers had passed. I pass her house every day on my way to work. b)to move toward another vehicle from behind and then continue going beyond it SYN go by: A police car passed us doing 90 miles an hour.2MOVE/GO [intransitive always + adv./prep.] to go or travel along or through a place: pass through/into/from etc. We heard the sound of helicopters passing overhead. They passed through the castle gates. I’m just passing through (=traveling through a place) on my way to Tulsa.3ROAD/RIVER ETC. [intransitive always + adv./prep., transitive] if a road, river, or railroad line passes (through) a place, it goes through or near that place: The railroad passes north of town.4PUT [transitive always + adv./prep.] to move or put something across, through, around, etc. something else: pass something around/across/through etc. He passed the rope through the hole.5TIME a)[intransitive] if time passes, it goes by: The days passed slowly. Twenty-five years have passed since the civil war. She became more frustrated with every passing day (=as each day passed). Hardly a day passed without Carver’s face being on the front page of the newspaper (=it was there almost every day). b)[transitive] if you pass a period of time in a particular way, you spend it in that way SYN spend: Lewis and Clark passed the winter with the Indians of the Mandan tribe. I read to pass the time (=keep from being bored).6GIVE [transitive] to take something in your hand and give it to someone else, especially because he or she cannot reach it: Pass the butter, please.pass somebody something Could you pass me that pen over there?pass something to somebody Just a minute. I’ll pass the phone to Bob.► see thesaurus at give17GIVE INFORMATION [transitive always + adv./prep.] to give someone information, especially so that he or she can deal with something: pass something (on/over/back) to somebody Details of the attack had been passed to enemy agents. I’ll pass the information on to the sales department.8TEST a)[intransitive, transitive] to succeed on a test OPP fail: Do you think you’ll pass? Dan’s worried he won’t pass calculus. Kerry passed her finals with flying colors (=got very high grades). b)[transitive] to officially decide that someone has passed a test: The driving examiner passed me even though I made a few mistakes.9SPORTS [intransitive, transitive] to kick, throw, or hit a ball, etc. to a member of your own team: pass (something) to somebody Miller passed to Rison for a 24-yard touchdown. Hey, pass me the ball!► see thesaurus at throw110LAW/PROPOSAL social studies, politics a)[transitive] to officially accept a law or proposal, especially by voting: pass a law/motion/resolution etc. The city council passed a resolution banning smoking in restaurants. Several Southern states passed similar legislation. b)[intransitive, transitive] if a law or proposal passes an official group, it is officially accepted by that group: The bill failed to pass the House of Representatives.11NUMBER to become more than a particular number or amount, as a total gradually increases: Around 1800, the world population passed the one billion mark.12SAY/COMMUNICATE [intransitive always + adv./prep.] if words, looks, or signs pass between two or more people, they exchange them with one another: pass between Not many words passed between us during the trip home.13let something pass to deliberately not react when someone says or does something that you do not like: When she started criticizing my parents, I couldn’t let it pass.14pass the time of day (with somebody) to talk to someone for a short time in order to be friendly15pass judgment (on somebody) to give your opinion about someone’s behavior, especially in order to criticize him or her16END [intransitive] to gradually come to an end: The pain should pass in a day or two. The storm soon passed.17NOT ACCEPT [intransitive] spoken to not accept an invitation or offer: “Do you want to go fishing Saturday?” “Sorry, I’ll have to pass this time.”18GIVE NO ANSWER [intransitive] to say that you do not know the answer to a question, especially in a competition: “What’s the capital of Albania?” “Pass.”pass on I had to pass on the last question.19CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP [intransitive, transitive] formal to go from one person’s control or possession to someone else’s: pass from/to The title passes from father to son.pass something to somebody Last week’s election passed control of Congress to the Republicans.20pass (a) sentence (on somebody) to officially decide how a criminal will be punished, and to announce what the punishment will be21pass the hat (around) to collect money from a group of people, especially after a performance or for a particular purpose: Employees passed the hat and raised $500 to help with the boy’s medical costs.22pass unnoticed to happen without anyone noticing or saying anything23pass the torch (to somebody) to stop doing something and give your position or work to someone else so that he or she can continue it24pass muster to be accepted as good enough for a particular job: Only if a paper passes muster is it accepted for publication.25pass the buck to try to blame someone else or make someone responsible for something that you should deal with: a bunch of politicians all trying to pass the buck26CHANGE [intransitive] formal if a substance passes from one state or condition into another, it changes into another state or condition: pass from/to When water freezes, it passes from a liquid to a solid state.27FALSE MONEY [transitive] to use false money to pay for something: The two men were arrested for passing a counterfeit 100-dollar bill at a gas station.28never/not pass somebody’s lips a)used to say that you will not talk about something that is secret: Don’t worry, not a word of this will pass my lips! b)used to say that you have not eaten or drunk a particular thing, especially alcoholic drinks or something that is not healthy: Junk food has never passed his lips.29DIE informal to die – used when you want to avoid saying this directly30BODY WASTE formal to send out something as waste material or in waste material from your bladder or bowels: pass urine/blood etc. See your doctor immediately if you pass any blood.pass gas (=a polite way of saying to allow air or gas to come out from your bowels)pass water (=urinate)31DIFFERENT RACE ETC. [intransitive] disapproving if someone who is not white or who is homosexual passes, he or she looks and behaves in a way that makes other people think he or she is white or heterosexual32come to pass literary or biblical to happen[Origin: 1200–1300 Old French passer, from Vulgar Latin passare, from Latin passus step]WORD CHOICE: passed, past• Passed is the past tense and past participle of the verb pass and means “moved beyond”: I think we just passed Rick’s house a second ago.• Past is used as a preposition or an adverb meaning “beyond” or “farther than”: She walked right past us without even saying hello. Just then, Mike drove past in his new Jeep.• Past can also be an adjective or noun referring to a time before now: I haven’t seen him for the past few weeks. In the past, people didn’t have as much free time.pass something ↔ around phrasal verb to give something to one person in a group, who then gives it to the person next to him or her, and so on: The soldiers passed a bottle around. She passed around a few pictures of her grandchildren.pass as somebody/something phrasal verb if someone or something can pass as someone or something, he, she, or it is similar enough to be accepted as that type of person or thing: His French is so good that he can pass as a Frenchman.pass away phrasal verb1an expression meaning “to die,” used because you want to avoid upsetting someone by saying this directly: It’s been over a year since Dad passed away.2if time or a feeling passes away, it gradually comes to an end: The summer passed away and autumn approached.pass by phrasal verb1 to move past or go past a person, place, vehicle, etc. on your way to another place: I was just passing by so I thought I’d stop for a visit.pass by somebody/something People glanced at Ron as they passed by our table. → see also passerby2 pass somebody by if something passes you by, it is there or happens but you are not involved in it: She felt that life was passing her by.pass something ↔ down phrasal verb to give something or teach something to people who are younger than you or live after you: pass something down (from somebody) to somebody The tradition has been passed down from generation to generation.pass for somebody/something phrasal verb if something passes for another thing, it is so similar to that thing that people think that is what it is SYN be accepted as: Shawn’s only 17, but he’s so big he could pass for 21. It’s amazing what passes for entertainment on TV (=what bad quality things people will accept as entertainment).pass somebody/something off phrasal verb to try to make people think that something or someone is another thing or person: pass somebody/something off as something They tried to pass the crystals off as diamonds. He passed himself off as a doctor.pass on phrasal verb1 pass something ↔ on to tell someone a piece of information that someone else has told you: pass something on to somebody I’ll pass your suggestion on to the committee.2 pass something on to give something to someone else, usually after another person has given it to you: Take one copy and pass the rest on to the next person.3 pass something ↔ on a)to give someone a slight illness that you have: I don’t want to pass on my cold to the baby. b)to give something, especially a disease, to your children through your genes4 pass something on to make someone else pay the cost of something: pass something on to somebody Any increase in wage costs is bound to be passed on to the consumer.5 an expression meaning “to die,” used when you want to avoid saying this directly: David’s father passed on last year.pass out phrasal verb1 to become unconscious SYN faint: It was so hot in there I thought I was going to pass out.2 pass something ↔ out to give something to each one of a group of people SYN hand out: Could you help me pass out the worksheets?► see thesaurus at give1pass somebody/something over phrasal verb pass somebody ↔ over if you pass over someone for a job, you give the job to someone else who is younger or lower in the organization: This is the second time he’s been passed over for a promotion.pass something ↔ up phrasal verb to not make use of an invitation, opportunity, offer, etc.: I couldn’t pass up dessert.pass up a chance/opportunity/offer etc. You shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit Florence while in Italy.too good/tempting/cheap etc. to pass up The salary was too good to pass up. verb | noun
passpass2 ●●● S2 W2 noun [countable] 1
DOCUMENT/TICKET an official paper or ticket which shows that you are allowed to enter or leave a building, travel on a bus or train, etc.: The guard checked our passes. Students need a hall pass to go to the library during class time.movie/zoo/museum etc. pass (=a pass that allows you to enter a movie, zoo, etc., without paying each time you go) You can buy a zoo pass for $150 per family. We won free passes to Disneyland!2SPORTS a single act of kicking, throwing, or hitting a ball, etc. to another member of your team: Davis received a pass from a teammate and scored.3TEST/CLASS if you receive a pass on a test or in a class, you are successful: receive/get a pass Students who received low passes were assigned to College Skills.4make a pass at somebody informal to try to kiss or touch another person with the intention of starting a sexual relationship with him or her: pass at Her boss made a pass at her.5MOUNTAIN ROAD a road or path that goes between mountains to the other side: a narrow mountain pass6AIRCRAFT a movement in which an aircraft, satellite, etc. flies once over or through a place: They scored a direct hit of the target on their second pass. the comet’s pass through our solar system7STAGE one part of a process that involves dealing with the whole of something several times: first/next/final etc. pass This will be our final editing pass before the brochure is printed.