pas

[ pah ]

/ pɑ /

Save This Word!

noun, plural pas.

a step or series of steps in ballet.

right of precedence.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of pas

1695–1705; <French <Latin passus.See pace¹

Words nearby pas

parvifoliate, parvis, parvo, parvovirus, Parzival, pas, Pasadena, pas allé, Pasargadae, Pasay, Pascagoula

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pas in a sentence

While JBL’s portable Bluetooth speakers are accomplished in their own right, there’s a next level to the company’s party speakers that truly leverages JBL’s history in concert PAs.
JBL speaker comparison: Which model is right for you?|Billy Cadden|June 30, 2021|Popular-Science
But publicly throwing shade at Louis Vuitton wasn't Kanye's first fashion faux pas.
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s Balmain Campaign: High Fashion Meets Low Culture|Amy Zimmerman|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He continues to search for a loan to renovate his beloved Hotel Pourquoi Pas?
‘Argo’ in the Congo: The Ghosts of the Stanleyville Hostage Crisis|Nina Strochlic|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One winter night, Posho Wembore sneaked into the exclusive whites-only club of the Hotel Pourquoi Pas?
‘Argo’ in the Congo: The Ghosts of the Stanleyville Hostage Crisis|Nina Strochlic|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Its addictive “sidebar of shame” catalogues every celebrity roll of fat, fashion faux pas, and shaky early-morning nightclub exit.
Hollywood vs. The Daily Mail: George Clooney and Angelina Jolie Take On The UK's Leanest, Meanest Gossip Machine|Lizzie Crocker, Lloyd Grove|July 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The way Grant spun his publicity faux pas paved the way for many celebrities after him.
The High Cost of An Orgasm: Is Momentary Pleasure Worth a Lifetime of Regret?|Aurora Snow|June 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mais ce n'est pas de merveille; car, comme j'ay dict, ils sont enfans.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Ils avoyent lors un conducteur fort honneste homme, et se comportoit fort bien avec les naturels du pas.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Il me dirent qu'il estoit malade ds quatre mois, et que comme il apparoissoit, il ne la feroit pas longue.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
La chasse aussi ne se trouve pas foison en vn lieu o il faut viure de cela, & o l'on fait vne demeure arreste.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Mais c'est là une mesure d'un intérêt défensif, qui ne fera pas faire un pas en avant.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton

British Dictionary definitions for pas (1 of 3)

pas

/ (pɑː, French pɑ) /

noun plural pas (pɑːz, French pɑ)

a dance step or movement, esp in ballet

rare the right to precede; precedence

Word Origin for pas

C18: French, literally: step

British Dictionary definitions for pas (2 of 3)

PAS

abbreviation for

physician-assisted suicide: a practice in which a terminally-ill person requests a medical practitioner to administer a lethal dose of medication

British Dictionary definitions for pas (3 of 3)

PA's

pl n

mountaineering a type of rock boot

Word Origin for PA's

C20: named after P ierre A llain, French climber

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