pass

I UK [pɑːs] / US [pæs] verb
Word forms "pass":
present tense I/you/we/they pass he/she/it passes present participle passing past tense passed past participle passed
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1)

a) [intransitive/transitive] to go past something

They stopped at the crossing, waiting for the train to pass.

The procession slowly passed us.

We sometimes pass each other in the street.

b) mainly American to overtake another vehicle that is travelling in the same direction

2) [intransitive] to move in a particular direction or to a particular place or position

pass through/along/over etc:

We passed through the gates of the old city.

Two large birds passed over our heads.

The signal passes through a device called a router.

a) [transitive] to move something in a particular direction or to a particular place or position

pass around/across/through etc:

He passed his hand across his forehead.

They managed to pass a message under the doorway.

b) [intransitive] if a road, river, or stream passes through, across etc a place, its path follows that direction

The railway line passes through Darlington, Newcastle, and Berwick.

3)

a) [intransitive/transitive] to be successful in an examination or test by achieving a satisfactory standard

Did you pass?

She passed her driving test.

He'll be in the team if he passes the fitness test today.

b) [transitive] to officially judge that someone has been successful in an examination or test because they have achieved a satisfactory standard

The examiners passed only 40% of the candidates.

4) [transitive] to put something into someone's hand or into a position where they can take it

Pass the salt, please.

pass someone something:

Could you pass me that newspaper?

pass something to someone:

He passed the camera to her so she could take a photograph.

a) to give information, especially to the police or to an enemy

Saunders was a paid informer, passing information to the secret police.

b) to give someone false money as payment for something

5)

a) [transitive] to make a law, proposal etc become official, usually by voting to accept it

This is one of the worst laws ever passed.

b) [intransitive/transitive] if a law, proposal etc passes, or passes a particular law-making body, it becomes official as the result of a vote

The legislation finally passed the House of Lords.

If the bill passes, it will fundamentally affect people's employment rights.

6)

a) [intransitive] if time or a period of time passes, it happens and comes to an end

Time passes slowly when you're waiting for something.

The summer holidays passed quickly, as usual.

with every day that passes/with every passing day:

She grew less hopeful with every passing day.

hardly/not a day passes without:

Hardly a day passed without a journalist calling or knocking at our door.

b) [transitive] to spend time doing something

We passed the day swimming and lying in the sun.

7) [intransitive] to come to an end

Children can be very difficult at this age. Don't worry – it'll soon pass.

I felt a sharp pain, but it soon passed.

8) [intransitive/transitive] to kick, hit, or throw the ball to another player in a sports team

9) [intransitive] if words or looks pass between people, they speak to each other or look at each other in a particular way

No one really knows what passed between them that day.

10)

a) [intransitive] to be unable to answer a question, especially in a test

He passed on three questions.

b) spoken used for saying that you do not know the answer to a question

"What is the capital of Sierra Leone?" "Pass."

11) [transitive] to become more than a particular amount

The death toll has already passed 200.

The three production sites will pass the 100,000 mark this quarter.

12) [intransitive] to happen, or to be allowed to happen

pass without comment (= without someone saying something about it):

This innocent remark did not, however, pass without comment.

pass unnoticed:

Her mistake seemed to have passed unnoticed.

13) [transitive] to make a comment or give an opinion, especially in order to criticize someone or something

pass (a) comment (on/about):

He was asked for his opinion but refused to pass comment.

14) [transitive] formal to make something leave your body as a waste product or in a waste product

I think he's passing blood in his urine.

15) [intransitive] to stop being owned or controlled by one person and start being owned or controlled by another

pass to:

Under the will, ownership of the business will pass to my daughter.

pass from someone to someone:

The estate has passed from father to son for generations.

16) [intransitive] to change from one state to another

pass from something to something:

At this temperature, the mixture passes from a solid to a liquid state.

17) [intransitive] to not play a card or not make a bid in a card game

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pass (a) sentence (on someone) — to officially say in a court of law what a criminal's punishment will be

Passing sentence, the judge told Kelly that the public needed protection from him.

pass the time of day (with someone) — to talk to someone for a short time, especially in order to be polite or friendly

- pass the time

- pass water

Phrasal verbs:

- pass around

- pass as

- pass away

- pass by

- pass down

- pass for

- pass off

- pass on

- pass out

- pass over

- pass round

- pass through

- pass up

See:

buck I, come I, let I

II UK [pɑːs] / US [pæs] noun [countable]
Word forms "pass":
singular pass plural passes
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1)

a) an official document that gives you permission to enter a place

You always have to show your pass before they'll let you in.

a backstage/boarding/security pass

b) an official document that gives you permission to use a particular form of transport without having to pay each time

You can get a weekly pass that costs a bit less than ten journeys.

2) a successful result in an examination or test

pass in:

She got a pass in maths.

3) a kick, hit, or throw of the ball to another player in your sports team

a perfect pass from Ince to Owen

4) a path or road that goes through an area of mountains

a mountain pass

the Brenner Pass

5) one of several stages in a process that involves checking and dealing with information, often using a computer, in order to improve it

I finished my first pass on my transcript yesterday.

6) a movement past, over, through etc a place

From above came the fading noise of the helicopter completing its pass.

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- make a pass at someone

- things have come to a pretty pass