pass out
Britishverb
-
informal (intr) to become unconscious; faint
-
(intr) (esp of an officer cadet) to qualify for a military commission; complete a course of training satisfactorily
General Smith passed out from Sandhurst in 1933
-
(tr) to distribute
-
Distribute, as in He passed out the papers . [Early 1900s]
-
Also, pass out cold . Faint, as in When she heard the news she passed out cold . [Early 1900s] Also see out cold .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They glanced round at him, but he only nodded at them, and they forgot him as soon as he passed out of sight, which was as he intended.
From Literature
The poor chap peddled it around Europe, passing out pamphlets at conventions.
From Literature
I understand that someone passed out and needed medical attention, and in retrospect I'm surprised it was only one.
From BBC
Mari Luz leads us to an empty seminar room and passes out drinks of water.
From Literature
While waiting on a bench at the police station, officers said Diarra was seen to pass out and paramedics were called who tried to revive him, but he was pronounced dead.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
