passage

[ pas-ij ]

/ ˈpæs ɪdʒ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR passage ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a portion or section of a written work; a paragraph, verse, etc.: a passage of Scripture.

a phrase or other division of a musical work.

Fine Arts. an area, section, or detail of a work, especially with respect to its qualities of execution: passages of sensitive brushwork.

an act or instance of passing from one place, condition, etc., to another; transit.

the permission, right, or freedom to pass: to refuse passage through a territory.

the route or course by which a person or thing passes or travels.

a hall or corridor; passageway.

an opening or entrance into, through, or out of something: the nasal passages.

a voyage by water from one point to another: a rough passage across the English Channel.

the privilege of conveyance as a passenger: to book passage on an ocean liner.

the price charged for accommodation on a ship; fare.

a lapse or passing, as of time.

a progress or course, as of events.

the enactment into law of a legislative measure.

an interchange of communications, confidences, etc., between persons.

an exchange of blows; altercation or dispute: a passage at arms.

the act of causing something to pass; transference; transmission.

an evacuation of the bowels.

an occurrence, incident, or event.

verb (used without object), pas·saged, pas·sag·ing.

to make a passage; cross; pass; voyage.

Nearby words

passable, passably, passacaglia, passade, passado, passage, passage grave, passage hawk, passage to india, a, passage work, passageway

Origin of passage

1250–1300; Middle English < Old French, equivalent to pass(er) to pass + -age -age

Definition for passage (2 of 2)

passage

[ pas-ij, puh-sahzh ]

/ ˈpæs ɪdʒ, pəˈsɑʒ /

Manège.

noun

a slow, cadenced trot executed with great elevation of the feet and characterized by a moment of suspension before the feet strike the ground.

verb (used without object), pas·saged, pas·sag·ing.

(of a horse) to execute such a movement.

(of a rider) to cause a horse to execute such a movement.

verb (used with object), pas·saged, pas·sag·ing.

to cause (a horse) to passage.

Origin of passage

1790–1800; < French passager (v.), variant of passéger < Italian passeggiare to walk; see pace¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for passage

One of the rites of passage for every young political reporter is to listen to the elders tell stories about campaigns past.
The World’s Toughest Political Quiz|Jeff Greenfield|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Going to The Ball, signing up for JDate, downloading JSwipe are all modern-day rites of passage.
The Craziest Date Night for Single Jews, Where Mistletoe Is Ditched for Shots|Emily Shire|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the neighborhoods they grow up in, prison is a rite of passage and being a street gangster is a viable career choice.
The Mexican Mafia Is the Daddy of All Street Gangs|Seth Ferranti|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Lena Dunham has been (crazily) accused of “sexual abuse” by right-wing troll sites for a passage in her memoir.
Welcome to Generation Overshare: Lena Dunham, Taylor Swift, and the Politics of Self-Disclosure|Marlow Stern|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Next, the passage of a comprehensive jobs bill is essential for Republicans.
What the GOP Will Do If It Wins Congress|Stuart Stevens|October 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is a bird of passage, visiting its customary breeding places in the summer and wintering in southern Europe.
Natural History in Anecdote|Various
For his passage the street had been cleared, the guards deployed, the houses decked.
The Best Short Stories of 1921 and the Yearbook of the American Short Story|Various
In it was one passage upon which Raymond Lulli happened, and which altered the whole course of his life.
A Modern Aladdin|Howard Pyle
The colonel had thrust the skeleton of John out of the passage.
A Romance of the West Indies|Eugne Sue
The latter unluckily omitted exactly the passage I wanted, which was what related to the navigation of the Mississippi.
Memoir, Correspondence, And Miscellanies, From The Papers Of Thomas Jefferson|Thomas Jefferson

British Dictionary definitions for passage (1 of 2)

passage

/ (ˈpæsɪdʒ) /

noun

a channel, opening, etc, through or by which a person or thing may pass

music a section or division of a piece, movement, etc

a way, as in a hall or lobby

a section of a written work, speech, etc, esp one of moderate length

a journey, esp by shipthe outward passage took a week

the act or process of passing from one place, condition, etc, to anotherpassage of a gas through a liquid

the permission, right, or freedom to passto be denied passage through a country

the enactment of a law or resolution by a legislative or deliberative body

an evacuation of the bowels

rare an exchange or interchange, as of blows, words, etc (esp in the phrase passage of arms)

Word Origin for passage

C13: from Old French from passer to pass

British Dictionary definitions for passage (2 of 2)

passage

/ (ˈpæsɪdʒ, ˈpæsɑːʒ) dressage /

noun

a sideways walk in which diagonal pairs of feet are lifted alternately

a cadenced lofty trot, the moment of suspension being clearly defined

verb

to move or cause to move at a passage

Word Origin for passage

C18: from French passager, variant of passéger, from Italian passeggiare to take steps, ultimately from Latin passūs step, pace 1

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

Medicine definitions for passage

passage

[ păs′ĭj ]

n.

A movement from one place to another.

The process of passing from one condition or stage to another.

A path, channel, or duct through, over, or along which something may pass.

An act of emptying, as of the bowels.

The process of passing or maintaining a group of microorganisms or cells through a series of hosts or cultures.

passage

noun

verb (used without object), pas·saged, pas·sag·ing.

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Nearby words

Origin of passage

Definition for passage (2 of 2)

passage

noun

verb (used without object), pas·saged, pas·sag·ing.

verb (used with object), pas·saged, pas·sag·ing.

Origin of passage

Examples from the Web for passage

British Dictionary definitions for passage (1 of 2)

passage

noun

Word Origin for passage

British Dictionary definitions for passage (2 of 2)

passage

noun

verb

Word Origin for passage

Medicine definitions for passage

passage

n.