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pass

pass

159 4.9
A low point between mountains used as a route
  • noun
  • /pæs/
translation icon : paso de montaña
  • The ancient trail followed the pass that had been used by travelers for centuries.
  • mountain pass
  • high pass
  • valleys and mountain passes

You know, you have to go through this, this impassable pass.

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Examples

  • Some sort of fortress had always stood guard over the pass between Princemarch and the northern desert.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • From the top of 15,724-foot Kamba La Pass, the view is dramatic.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Will they go over to the pass?

  • We'll stop for water and push for the mountain pass by nightfall.

  • Our guerrillas could have held the mountain passes for months... even years.

  • It was just beyond the pass.

  • Twice the Donner Party tried to cross the pass; twice the deep snow drove them back.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • We followed them as they led the hooded beasts to the pass, where they turned their noses eastward.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The hikers chose a safe route through the high mountain pass to reach the valley.

  • After a long climb, they finally emerged from the narrow pass between the rocky cliffs.

Synonyms

notch
vspass
  • US
14 6.8

A narrow pass between two mountain peaks

is a general low point used for crossing not defined by narrowness
col
vspass
13 9.6

A low point on a mountain ridge between two peaks that people use to cross

is a general low point used to cross ranges rather than strictly between summits
mountain pass
vspass
8 3.2

A low route through mountains that people or vehicles use

is a low point used for crossing rather than a random ridge spot

Antonyms

368 2.1

The highest point something reaches, like a mountain or an achievement

89 3.6

The highest point of a hill or mountain

Idioms

To do very well in a test or task, often easily

Give responsibility for your job to the person who will replace you

3 7.8

Seem honest and believable when people check it

1 3.5

To give responsibility or control to another person during a planned change

do not pass go
  • Informal
9.1

To refuse someone any further chance and make them leave immediately

To ask or hope, often in prayer, not to have a hard time

Compounds

20 2.4

A paper or digital ticket that lets a passenger get on a plane

free pass
  • Informal
18 4.2

An excuse that lets someone avoid rules or blame because of their position

13 2.3

A written note from a teacher that allows a student to leave class and go into the hallway

11 3.4

A ticket that lets someone enter a place without paying

A low route through mountains that people or vehicles use

Hail Mary pass
  • Informal
4 8.4

A risky final attempt to succeed when little time remains

screen pass
  • Jargon
4 6.1

A short forward pass where teammates block to protect the receiver

2 3.8

A throw toward the opponent's end to move the ball downfield

pass catcher
  • Jargon
1 5.4

A player who receives forward passes, like a wide receiver or tight end

low-pass filter
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A device that lets slow changes in signals pass and reduces fast changes

hall pass
  • NSFW
1 8.3

Permission from a partner to be romantic or sexual with someone outside the relationship

1 3.9

An opening between a kitchen and dining room for passing food

1 2.8

A successful forward pass caught by a teammate

1 7.4

A mountain road through the Alps that links Innsbruck in Austria with Bolzano in Italy

1 7.1

A narrow mountain route between Pakistan and Afghanistan used for trade and army movements

8.0

A high mountain pass near Lake Tahoe where trapped pioneers ate human flesh to survive

flare pass
  • Jargon
7.0

A short forward pass to a player running toward the sideline in American football

forward pass
  • Specialized
4.6

A run of input data through a model to produce predictions

kitchen pass
  • Jargon
7.9

Permission to stop cooking for a short time, often said as a joke

lateral pass
  • Jargon
5.8

A pass that goes sideways or backward instead of forward in American football

high-pass filter
  • Specialized
4.4

An electronic part that lets high sounds pass and reduces low sounds

8.6

A risky pass that puts someone in danger or trouble

pussy pass
  • Slur
9.9

Special, unfair treatment given to a woman by others because of her gender

pass-through
  • Specialized
5.1

A setting that lets signals or data pass through unchanged to another device

pass receiver
  • Jargon
3.9

A football player who catches passes from the quarterback

pass-back
  • Specialized
3.2

A ball moved backward to a teammate to keep possession

4.2

Sending a file back to the person who handled it before for review

spot pass
  • Jargon
5.7

A throw that aims the ball at a planned place for the receiver to catch

How Low

valley
1.0
pass
159 4.9
saddle
3 7.2
gap
148 1.0
ridge
276 3.4

Surface Forms

pass singular
passes plural

Etymology

Pass comes from the Old French passer and the Latin passus, meaning 'to go across' or 'a step'. A mountain pass is a low place to go through between peaks, a natural way to step or move from one valley to another.