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

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

Franks says she will never regret her time at Cambridge, despite the sneers and the cheeseboard faux pas.

From BBC • Feb. 21, 2026

The faux pas happened during a show on Gass’ birthday in Sydney, Australia.

From Salon • Jan. 21, 2026

The shirt was a screen print of a famous Surrealist artwork by Rene Magritte in which he drew a pipe and then beneath it wrote in cursive Ceci n’est pas une pipe.

From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green