pas

American  

[pah] / pɑ /

noun

plural

pas

1. a step or series of steps in ballet.

2. right of precedence.

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pas ¹ British  

/ pɑ, pɑː /

noun

1. a dance step or movement, esp in ballet

2. rare the right to precede; precedence

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PA's ² British  

plural noun

1. mountaineering a type of rock boot

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PAS ³ British  

abbreviation

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

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Etymology

Origin of pas

1695–1705; < French < Latin passus. See pace ¹

Example Sentences

They dissect the most famous pas de deux with trenchant insight and introduce their audience to the greatest dancers, including Natalia Osipova and Roberto Bolle.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

She was quick to try to clean up her faux pas, claiming she had skipped over the section because her statement was running long, but no one believed it.

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026

On this week’s Slate Plus exclusive, Timothée Chalamet enters the pas de deux between an Oscar-nominated actor and a public itching for a villain.

From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026

But with some notable exceptions—Henri-Georges Clouzot’s “Diabolique,” Julien Duvivier’s “Panique” and Jacques Becker’s “Touchez pas au Grisbi” among them—much of this tradition remains unknown to American viewers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026

“Ce n’est pas à nous,” says Thérèse, not ours to question.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver