Meaning of pass In English

• 0 to go past something or someone or move in relation to it, him, or her:

  • I passed him on the stairs this morning.

  • You should only pass a slower vehicle if it is safe to do so.

  • If you pass a supermarket, could you get me some milk?

  • I was just passing by (= going past the place where you are), so I thought I'd drop in for a chat.

  • A momentary look of anxiety passed across his face.

  • A cloud passed over the sun.

  • Don't buy goods that have passed their sell-by date.

  • The company's turnover is expected to pass the $10 million mark by the end of this year.

  • Don't worry, his depression is only temporary - it'll soon pass.

• 1 to be successful in an exam, course, etc.:

  • Guess what? I've passed my driving test!

  • The exam is so hard that only five percent of all applicants pass.

• 2 to give something to someone:

  • Could you pass the salt please?

  • I asked if I could see the letter, so she passed it to me reluctantly.

  • [ + two objects ] Gerald passed me the note./Gerald passed the note to me.

  • Genes are the means by which parents' characteristics are passed on to their children.

  • [ + two objects ] I haven't trusted him since he passed me a forged $100 bill.

  • She was arrested for passing stolen cheques.

• 3 When time passes, it goes past:

  • Time seems to pass (by) so slowly when you're bored.

  • I was a little worried about the party, but the evening passed without any great disasters.

  • The visitors pass their days swimming, windsurfing, and playing volleyball.

• 4 (of an official group of people) to give approval to something, especially by voting to make it law:

  • The government passed a law to restrict the sale of guns.

  • The food supplement had been passed as safe for human consumption.

• 5 to express a judgment or opinion about something, especially someone else's behaviour:

  • As a convicted criminal, he's in no position to pass judgment (on the rest of us).

• 6 to die:

  • After she passed, the doctors wanted to do an autopsy.

  • His wife was at his side when he passed peacefully this morning.

• 7 to remove waste from the body:

  • to pass urine

  • If you pass blood, you should go and see your doctor.

• 8 to choose not to play in a part of a game or not to answer a question in a quiz

• 9 to change from one state to another:

  • Wax passes from solid to liquid when you heat it.

• 10 a successful result in an exam:

  • Jon Hill achieved two grade A passes at A-level.

  • I got a pass in my Literature course.

• 11 a movement of the ball from one player to another member of the same team in a team sport

• 12 an official document or ticket showing that you have the right to go somewhere or use a particular form of transport:

  • a bus pass

  • a boarding pass

  • My guest pass allows me to use the club's facilities free of charge.

  • She had a pass to go to the library.

• 13 a path or road between or over mountains:

  • a mountain pass

• 14 an occasion when someone reads through a text, especially in order to edit it (= make changes to it):

  • I'm now doing my editing pass on the document.

  • Don't try to memorize everything. Don't try to get every detail on the first pass.

• 15 a difficult or unpleasant condition:

  • If I'd been aware things had reached such a pass, I'd have told the police.

  • UK It's come to a pretty pass (= it's a bad situation) when you can't even have a few quiet drinks with some friends.

• 16 to speak to or touch someone in a way that shows you would like to start a sexual relationship with them

• 17 to go past or move beyond something or someone:

  • [ T ] A car passed us doing 70 miles per hour.

  • [ I ] I was just passing by and stopped to say hello.

• 18 to cause something to go around, across, through, etc., something else, or to be positioned in such a way:

  • [ T ] Pass the wire through the slot and pull it out from the other side.

  • [ I always + adv/prep ] The causeway passes across the bay and takes you to the mainland.

• 19 to give something to someone:

  • [ T ] Please pass the bread.

• 20 to be successful in a test, exam, or course, or to judge someone as having been successful in it:

  • [ T ] The professor said that if I passed the final exam, she’ll pass me.

• 21 to go past or through a period of time:

  • [ I ] The hours passed quickly.

• 22 to approve or be approved by a group having authority, esp. by voting:

  • [ T ] The bill passed both houses of Congress and was signed by the president.

  • [ I ] The bill passed unanimously.

• 23 to choose not to do, have, take part in, or take a turn at something:

  • I think I’ll pass on going to the movies.

• 24 to be accepted as being something that you are not, esp. something better or more attractive:

  • Marion looks so young she could pass for 30.

  • Do this jacket and skirt match well enough to pass as a suit?

• 25 an official document or ticket showing that you have the right to go somewhere or do something:

  • We bought three-day passes to the amusement park.

  • The children get bus passes to travel to and from school.

• 26 a mark given to show that a student has successfully completed a course or an exam

• 27 the act of giving or sending the ball to another player on your own team:

  • The receiver dropped the pass.

• 28 to go past something or someone or move in relation to it or them:

  • I was just passing by, so I thought I'd drop in for a chat.

• 29 to go past a particular point in time:

  • Don't buy goods which have passed their sell-by date.

• 30 to go past something by being greater in amount or degree:

  • As the world's largest convenience store chain, it just passed McDonald's in the number of worldwide outlets.

  • pass the $1m/€100m/£10bn, etc. mark The company is expected to pass the $10m mark by the end of this year.

• 31 if you say a situation or feeling will pass, you mean it will disappear:

  • We're in a difficult economic situation, but it will pass eventually.

• 32 to be successful in an examination, course, etc.:

  • All interviewees need to pass a basic math and literacy test.

• 33 to give something to someone:

  • Could you pass me that file, please?

• 34 if you pass money, you give someone false or stolen money without telling them:

  • Police have warned businesses that someone is passing stolen checks in the area.

• 35 when time passes, it goes past:

  • A lot of time has passed since we opened our first store.

• 36 if you pass time, you spend time doing something:

  • With more people passing time in the terminal, airport officials try to make them comfortable.

• 37 to give approval to something, especially by voting to make it law:

  • California passed a law in September to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 25%.

• 38 to choose not to answer a question:

  • pass on sth Asked whether he thought the FA should intervene, he replied diplomatically: 'Can I pass on this one?'

• 39 to change from one condition to another:

  • pass from sth to sth As new electronic gadgets fall in price, they pass from a niche product to a mass product.

• 40 an official document or ticket which shows that you have the right to go somewhere or use a particular form of transport:

  • a parking/security/visitor's pass Sign in at reception and they will give you a visitor's pass.

  • an annual/season/three-day pass Frequent visitors of national forests can save money by buying an annual pass.

• 41 a successful result in an examination:

  • This candidate got 4 grade A passes at A-level.