en passant

[ ahn pa-sahnt; French ahn pah-sahn ]
/ ˌɑn pæˈsɑnt; French ɑ̃ pɑˈsɑ̃ /

adverb

(italics) French. in passing; by the way.
Chess. (used when a pawn that has moved two squares is captured by an opponent's pawn commanding the square that was passed.)

QUIZZES

CAN YOU FEEL THE WEAL WITH THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ?

Did you collect all of last week’s words, but eftsoons forget what they mean? Don’t worry, we’re here to jog your memory. See how many words from the week of May 18 to 24 you can get right!
Question 1 of 7
weal
well-being, prosperity, or happiness.
the intervening time.
a somewhat prolonged, sharp, shrill cry, as of pain, fear, or surprise.
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Origin of en passant

First recorded in 1655–65

Words nearby en passant

en famille, en fête, en garde, en masse, en papillote, en passant, en pension, en plein, en plein air, en prise, en quad
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for en passant

en passant
/ (ɒn pæˈsɑːnt, French ɑ̃ pasɑ̃) /

adverb

in passing: in chess, said of capturing a pawn that has made an initial move of two squares to its fourth rank, bypassing the square where an enemy pawn on its own fifth rank could capture it. The capture is made as if the captured pawn had moved one square instead of two

Word Origin for en passant

C17: from French
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012