/ pɑːs; NAmE pæs/ verb , noun
■ verb
MOVE
1.
to move past or to the other side of sb/sth :
[ v ]
Several people were passing but nobody offered to help.
I hailed a passing taxi.
The road was so narrow that cars were unable to pass.
[ vn ]
to pass a barrier / sentry / checkpoint
You'll pass a bank on the way to the train station.
She passed me in the street without even saying hello.
( especially NAmE )
There was a truck behind that was trying to pass me.
HELP NOTE : The usual word in British English is overtake .
2.
[ v + adv. / prep. ] to go or move in the direction mentioned :
The procession passed slowly along the street.
A plane passed low overhead.
3.
[ vn + adv. / prep. ] to make sth move in the direction or into the position mentioned :
He passed the rope around the post three times to secure it.
GIVE
4.
pass sth (to sb) | pass sb sth to give sth to sb by putting it into their hands or in a place where they can easily reach it :
[ vn ]
Pass the salt, please.
[ vn , vnn ]
Pass that book over.
Pass me over that book.
BALL
5.
pass (sth) (to sb) ( in ball games ) to kick, hit or throw the ball to a player of your own side :
[ vn ]
He passed the ball to Owen.
[ v ]
Why do they keep passing back to the goalie?
AFTER DEATH
6.
[ v ] pass to sb to be given to another person after first belonging to sb else, especially after the first person has died :
On his death, the title passed to his eldest son.
BECOME GREATER
7.
[ vn ] ( of an amount ) to become greater than a particular total
SYN exceed :
Unemployment has now passed the three million mark .
CHANGE
8.
[ v ] pass from sth to / into sth to change from one state or condition to another :
She had passed from childhood to early womanhood.
TIME
9.
[ v ] when time passes , it goes by :
Six months passed and we still had no news of them.
We grew more anxious with every passing day .
10.
[ vn ] to spend time, especially when you are bored or waiting for sth :
We sang songs to pass the time .
How did you pass the evening?
END
11.
[ v ] to come to an end; to be over :
They waited for the storm to pass.
TEST / EXAM
12.
to achieve the required standard in an exam, a test, etc. :
[ v ]
I'm not really expecting to pass first time.
[ vn ]
She hasn't passed her driving test yet.
OPP fail
13.
[ vn ] to test sb and decide that they are good enough, according to an agreed standard :
The examiners passed all the candidates.
OPP fail
LAW / PROPOSAL
14.
[ vn ] to accept a proposal, law, etc. by voting :
The bill was passed by 360 votes to 280.
HAPPEN
15.
[ v ] to be allowed :
I don't like it, but I'll let it pass (= will not object) .
Her remarks passed without comment (= people ignored them) .
16.
pass (between A and B) to happen; to be said or done :
[ v ]
They'll never be friends again after all that has passed between them.
[ v - adj ]
His departure passed unnoticed .
NOT KNOW
17.
[ v ] pass (on sth) to say that you do not know the answer to a question, especially during a quiz :
'What's the capital of Peru?' 'I'll have to pass on that one.'
'Who wrote 'Catch-22'?' 'Pass (= I don't know) .'
NOT WANT
18.
[ v ] pass (on sth) to say that you do not want sth that is offered to you :
Thanks. I'm going to pass on dessert, if you don't mind.
SAY / STATE STH
19.
[ vn ] pass sth (on sb/sth) to say or state sth, especially officially :
The court waited in silence for the judge to pass sentence .
It's not for me to pass judgement on your behaviour.
The man smiled at the girl and passed a friendly remark.
BELIEF / UNDERSTANDING
20.
[ vn ] pass belief, understanding, etc. ( formal ) to go beyond the limits of what you can believe, understand, etc. :
It passes belief (= is impossible to believe) that she could do such a thing.
IN CARD GAMES
21.
[ v ] to refuse to play a card or make a bid when it is your turn
FROM THE BODY
22.
[ vn ] to send sth out from the body as or with waste matter :
If you're passing blood you ought to see a doctor.
•
IDIOMS
- come to pass
- not pass your lips
- pass the hat round / around
- pass muster
- pass the time of day (with sb)
- pass water
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- pass sth around / round
- pass as sb/sth
- pass away
- pass by (sb/sth)
- pass sb/sth by
- pass sth down
- pass for / as sb/sth
- pass into sth
- pass off
- pass sb / yourself / sth off as sb/sth
- pass on
- pass sth on (to sb)
- pass out
- pass out (of sth)
- pass sb over
- pass over sth
- pass through ...
- pass sth up
■ noun
IN EXAM
1.
( especially BrE ) a successful result in an exam :
She got a pass in French.
12 passes and 3 fails
Two A-level passes are needed for this course.
The pass mark is 50%.
The school has a 90% pass rate (= 90% of students pass their exams) .
OFFICIAL DOCUMENT
2.
an official document or ticket that shows that you have the right to enter or leave a place, to travel on a bus or train, etc. :
a boarding pass (= for a plane)
There is no admittance without a security pass.
—see also bus pass
OF BALL
3.
(in some sports) an act of hitting or throwing the ball to another player in your team :
a long pass to Rooney
a back pass to the goalkeeper
THROUGH MOUNTAINS
4.
a road or way over or through mountains :
a mountain pass
MOVING PAST / OVER
5.
an act of going or moving past or over sth :
The helicopter made several passes over the village before landing.
STAGE IN PROCESS
6.
a stage in a process, especially one that involves separating things from a larger group :
In the first pass all the addresses are loaded into the database.
•
IDIOMS
- come to such a pass | come to a pretty pass
- make a pass at sb
••
WORD ORIGIN
verb and noun senses 1 to 3 noun senses 5 to 6 Middle English : from Old French passer , based on Latin passus pace.
noun sense 4 Middle English (in the sense division of a text, passage through ): variant of pace (I), influenced by pass (verb) and French pas .