pass1

verb

• 1move or cause to move in a specified direction: [no object]:he passed through towns and villages the shells from the Allied guns were passing very low overhead [with object]:he passed a weary hand across his forehead pass an electric current through it
• change from one state or condition to another:homes that have passed from public to private ownership
• euphemistic, chiefly North American die (used euphemistically):his father had passed to the afterlife she passed away peacefully in her sleep a good and decent man has passed on

• 2 [with object] go past or across; leave behind or on one side in proceeding:she passed a rest area with a pay phone the two vehicles had no room to pass each other [no object]:we will not let you pass
• go beyond the limits of; surpass; exceed:this item has passed its sell-by date
• Tennis hit a winning shot past (an opponent).

• 3 [no object] (of time or a point in time) elapse; go by:the day and night passed slowly the moment had passed
• happen; be done or said:not another word passed between them [with complement]:this fact has passed almost unnoticed
• [with object] spend or use up (a period of time):this was how they passed the time
• come to an end:the danger had passed

• 4 [with object] transfer (something) to someone, especially by handing or bequeathing it to the next person in a series:your letter has been passed to Mr. Rich for action please pass the fish [with two objects]:he passed her a cup
• [no object] be transferred from one person or place to another, especially by inheritance:infections can pass from mother to child at birth if Ann remarried the estate would pass to her new husband
• (in football, soccer, hockey, and other games) throw, kick, or hit (the ball or puck) to another player on one’s own team.
• put (something, especially money) into circulation:persons who have passed bad checks
• [no object] (especially of money) circulate; be current:cash was passing briskly

• 5 [with object] (of a candidate) be successful in (an examination, test, or course):she passed her driving test
• judge the performance or standard of (someone or something) to be satisfactory: [with object and complement]:he was passed fit by army doctors
• [no object] be accepted as adequate; go uncensured:she couldn’t agree, but let it pass her rather revealing dress passed without comment
• [no object] (pass as/for) be accepted as or taken for:he could pass for a native of Sweden

• 6 [with object] (of a legislative or other official body) approve or put into effect (a proposal or law) by voting on it:the bill was passed despite fierce opposition
• [no object] (of a proposal or law) be examined and approved by (a legislative body or process):the bill passed by 164 votes to 107

• 7 [with object] pronounce (a judgment or judicial sentence):passing judgment on these crucial issues it is now my duty to pass sentence upon you
• utter (something, especially criticism):she would pass remarks about the Paxtons in their own house
• [no object] (pass on/upon) archaic adjudicate or give a judgment on:a jury could not be trusted to pass upon the question of Endicott’s good faith

• 8 [with object] discharge (something, especially urine or feces) from the body:frequency of passing urine

• 9 [no object] forgo one’s turn in a game or an offered opportunity:we pass on dessert and have coffee
• [as exclamation] said when one does not know the answer to a question, for example in a quizzing game:to the enigmatic question we answered “Pass.”
• [with object] (of a company) not declare or pay (a dividend).
• Bridge make no bid when it is one’s turn during an auction.
• [with object] Bridge make no bid in response to (one’s partner’s bid):East had passed his partner’s opening bid of one club

noun

• 1an act or instance of moving past or through something:repeated passes with the swipe card an unmarked plane had been making passes over his house
• informal an amorous or sexual advance made to someone:she made a pass at Stephen
• an act of passing the hands over anything, as in conjuring or hypnotism.
• a thrust in fencing.
• a juggling trick.
• Bridge an act of refraining from bidding during the auction.
• Computing a single scan through a set of data or a program.

• 2a successful completion of an examination or course: [as modifier]:a 100 percent pass rate
• the grade indicating this.
• British an achievement of a university degree without honors: [as modifier]:a pass degree

• 3a card, ticket, or permit giving authorization for the holder to enter or have access to a place, form of transportation, or event.

• 4(in football, soccer, hockey, and other games) an act of throwing, kicking, or hitting the ball or puck to another player on the same team.

• 5a state or situation of a specified, usually bad or difficult, nature:this is a sad pass for a fixture that used to crackle with excitement