pass.
1016
acceptable but not good enough for HONOURS: a pass degree 4 [C] (in various sports) an act of passing (PASS) a ball 5 a way by which one may move or travel through or over a place, especially over a range of mountains: the Brenner Pass | the landslide blocked the pass. 6 [S] BrE infml a difficult state or condition: Things have come to a pretty/ fine/sorry pass if we can't even afford beer! 7 [C] a single complete stage in a process of dealing with something: This is just the first pass, when we discard the most unsuitable candidates. 8 make a pass at slang (especially of a man) to invite or attempt sexual activity, either with words or by trying to touch (a member of the opposite sex)
pass. abbrev. for PASSIVE
pass·able /'pɑːsəbəl||'pæ-/ adj 1 (just) good enough to be accepted; satisfactory but not very good: a passable piece of work 2 (of a road or river) that can be travelled along or across → opposite IMPASSABLE —bly adv
pas·sage /'pæsɪdʒ/ n 1 [C] also pas·sage·way /'pæsɪdʒweɪ/ BrE || also hall, hallway AmE — a long narrow connecting way, especially inside a building; CORRIDOR: Her room is just along the passage. 2 [C(through)] especially BrE a usually narrow way through; opening: We forced a passage through the crowd. 3 [U(of)] fml the action of going across, by, over, through etc, something: The old bridge is not strong enough to allow the passage of heavy vehicles. | (fig.) The bill was amended several times during its passage through Parliament. 4 [U(of)] the course (of time): With the passage of time the incident was forgotten. 5 [S(from, to)] (the cost of) a journey, especially by sea or air: He couldn't afford the passage, and so he had to work his passage by doing jobs on the ship. | We had a rough passage. 6 [C] a usually short part of a speech or a piece of writing or music, considered by itself → see also PURPLE PASSAGE, rites of passage (RITE)
,Passage to 'India, A (1924) a book by E. M. FORSTER about the relationships in India between British people and Indians during the early 1900s, when Britain controlled India's government. It was made into a successful film in 1984.
pas·sant /'pæsənt||pɑː'sɑːnt/ → see EN PASSANT
pass·book /'pɑːsbʊk||'pæs-/ n 1 a) a book in which a record of the money one puts into and takes out of a BUILDING SOCIETY is kept b) AmE for BANKBOOK 2 (in S Africa before 1987) a small book which non-white people had to carry which allowed them to be in a certain area
Pas·schen·dae·le /'pæʃəndeɪl/ an important battle during World War I in 1917, in northwest Belgium, in which over 200,000 British soldiers were killed. It is remembered especially for the MUD (=soft wet earth), which made the terrible conditions in which the soldiers lived and fought even worse.
pas·sé /'pɑːseɪ, 'pæseɪ||pɑː'seɪ/ adj [F] derog no longer considered modern; old-fashioned
pas·sen·ger /'pæsɪndʒər, -sən-/ n 1 a person, not the driver, travelling in a public or private vehicle: This bus can carry 60 passengers. | a passenger train | The driver and both passengers were unhurt in the accident. 2 BrE derog a member of a team or other group who does not do his or her share of the group's work
Passe·par·tout /ˌpæspɑː'tuː||ˌpɑs-/ a character in the book Around the World in 80 Days (1873) by Jules VERNE. He is the servant and friend of Phileas FOGG, and goes with him when he makes his journey around the world.
pass·er·by /ˌpɑːsə'baɪ||ˌpæsər-/ n pl. passersby /-səz-|| -sərz-/ a person who (by chance) is walking, driving etc past a place: A few passersby saw the accident.
pas·sim /'pæsɪm/ adv tech (of a phrase, idea etc, that appears in a book, a writer's work etc) frequently; in many places: For further information, see chapter six passim.
pass·ing¹ /'pɑːsɪŋ||'pæ-/ n [U(of)] 1 the act of going by: With the passing of the years he grew more and more ill-tempered. 2 a) ending; disappearance: The old government was voted out, and few people mourned its passing. b) euph death 3 in passing in the course of a statement, especially one about a different matter: He was talking about his holiday in Spain, and he mentioned in passing that you were thinking of going there next year.
passing² adj [A] 1 moving or going by: He watched the passing cars. | With every passing day she grew stronger. | a passing shot in tennis (=that passes one's opponent) 2 not lasting very long; BRIEF: She did not give the matter even a passing thought. | a passing reference
passing³ adv old use very: passing strange
'passing ,shot n (in TENNIS) a shot that hits the ball to one side and beyond the reach of an opponent who is coming towards the net
pas·sion /'pæʃən/ n 1 [C,U(for)] (a) strong, deep, often uncontrollable feeling, especially of sexual love, hatred, or anger: The poet expressed his burning passion for the woman he loved. | a political meeting where passions ran high (=people expressed strong feelings) 2 [S] a sudden show of anger or bad temper: She gets into a passion if you contradict her. 3 [S+for] infml a strong liking: a passion for (collecting) antiques → see also CRIME OF PASSION —less adj —lessly adv
Passion, the n tech the suffering and death of Christ
pas·sion·ate /'pæʃənət/ adj 1 able to feel strongly with passion: a passionate woman 2 showing or filled with passion: a passionate speech in defence of freedom 3 very eager; INTENSE: a passionate interest in sports —ly adv: He believes passionately in the justice of his cause.
pas·sion·flow·er /'pæʃənflaʊər/ n any of various types of climbing plant with large flowers, usually growing in warm countries, some of which produce an egg-shaped fruit (pas·sion·fruit) which is good to eat
'passion play n (often cap. first P) a play telling the story of the Passion → compare NATIVITY PLAY
,Passion 'Sunday in the Christian church, the Sunday two weeks before Easter
pas·sive¹ /'pæsɪv/ adj 1 sometimes derog accepting what happens or what other people do to one, but not doing anything in return; suffering without opposition: They received the news of their defeat with passive resignation. | How can you be so passive? Why don't you retaliate? | They mounted a campaign of passive resistance against the occupiers. (=opposing them without using violence) 2 [no comp.] tech (of a verb or sentence) having as the subject the person or thing to which an action is done (as in The boy was thrown from his horse) → compare ACTIVE —ly adj
passive² also ,passive 'voice n [the S] tech the passive form of a verb. 'The ball was kicked by the boy' is in the passive. → compare ACTIVE
,passive 'smoking n [U] the breathing in of smoke from the cigarettes, PIPES etc that other people are smoking, now considered to be almost as harmful to health as actually smoking yourself
pas·siv·ity /pə'sɪvɪti/ also pas·sive·ness /'pæsɪvnəs/ n [U] sometimes derog the quality of being PASSIVE
pas·siv·ize also -ise BrE /'pæsɪvaɪz/ v [I;T] tech to (cause to) become PASSIVE —ization /ˌpæsɪvaɪ'zeʃən||-və-/ n [U]
pass·key /'pɑːsˌkiː||'pæs-/ n 1 a key made to open a particular door or gate, and given only to those few people allowed to use that door or gate 2 a key that will open a number of different locks, all of which have keys of their own
'pass laws n [P] South African laws which formerly controlled or prevented the movement of black people from place to place. The pass laws were stopped as part of the end of APARTHEID.
Pass·o·ver /'pɑːsəvər||'pæs-/ an important Jewish religious holiday which takes place in March or April each year, when people remember the escape from ancient Egypt of the Jewish people who were SLAVES there. During the period of Passover, which continues for eight days, Jewish people eat matza (=UNLEAVENED bread).
pass·port /'pɑːspɔːt||'pæspɔːrt/ n 1 a small official book given by a government to a citizen, which proves who that person is and allows them to leave their country and enter foreign countries: She holds (=has) a French passport. 2 [to] something, such as a quality or possession, that makes it possible for a person to do or get something desirable: He thought that money was a passport to happiness/to high society.
'passport con,trol n where one's passport is checked when leaving and entering a country
,pass the 'parcel n [U] a British game played especially at children's parties, in which a parcel wrapped in many sheets of paper is passed from player to player while music is played. When the music stops, the player holding the parcel