passage

¹ American  

[pas-ij] / ˈpæs ɪdʒ /

noun

1. a portion or section of a written work; a paragraph, verse, etc..

   a passage of Scripture.

2. a phrase or other division of a musical work.

3. Fine Arts.  an area, section, or detail of a work, especially with respect to its qualities of execution.

   passages of sensitive brushwork.

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

5. the permission, right, or freedom to pass.

   to refuse passage through a territory.

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

7. a hall or corridor; passageway.

8. an opening or entrance into, through, or out of something.

   the nasal passages.

9. a voyage by water from one point to another.

   a rough passage across the English Channel.

10. the privilege of conveyance as a passenger.

    to book passage on an ocean liner.

11. the price charged for accommodation on a ship; fare.

12. a lapse or passing, as of time.

13. a progress or course, as of events.

14. the enactment into law of a legislative measure.

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

16. an exchange of blows; altercation or dispute.

    a passage at arms.

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

18. an evacuation of the bowels.

19. an occurrence, incident, or event.

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verb (used without object)

passaged, passaging

1. to make a passage; cross; pass; voyage.

passage ² American  

[pas-ij, puh-sahzh] / ˈpæs ɪdʒ, pəˈsɑʒ /

noun

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

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verb (used without object)

passaged, passaging

1. (of a horse) to execute such a movement.

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

verb (used with object)

passaged, passaging

1. to cause (a horse) to passage.

passage ¹ British  

/ ˈpæsɪdʒ /

noun

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

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

3. a way, as in a hall or lobby

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

5. a journey, esp by ship

   the outward passage took a week

6. the act or process of passing from one place, condition, etc, to another

   passage of a gas through a liquid

7. the permission, right, or freedom to pass

   to be denied passage through a country

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

9. an evacuation of the bowels

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

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passage ² British  

/ ˈpæsɑːʒ, ˈpæsɪdʒ /

noun

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

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

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verb

1. to move or cause to move at a passage

Etymology

Origin of passage¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Old French, equivalent to pass(er) “to cross, go through” + -age noun suffix; pass, -age

Origin of passage²

First recorded in 1750–60; from French verb passager, variant of passéger, from Italian passeggiare “to walk, stroll”; pace ¹

Example Sentences

At times, however, the passages quoted from letters and memoirs come so thick and fast that they threaten to overwhelm the connecting strand of Mr. Hart’s own chronological narrative.

From The Wall Street Journal

The graduate assistant grader gave the essay a zero, noting that it “contradicts itself,” “heavily uses personal ideology over empirical evidence,” and contains passages that are “offensive.”

From Salon

Since the law’s passage, companies have halted at least 55 research programs and given up 26 medicines.

From The Wall Street Journal

Since the law’s passage, companies have halted at least 55 research programs and given up 26 medicines.

From The Wall Street Journal

Gone, too, are long reading passages that might strain TikTok attention spans.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• clause
• paragraph
• portion
• quotation
• reading
• section
• sentence
• text
• transition
• verse