passage
1 Americannoun
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a portion or section of a written work; a paragraph, verse, etc..
a passage of Scripture.
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a phrase or other division of a musical work.
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Fine Arts. an area, section, or detail of a work, especially with respect to its qualities of execution.
passages of sensitive brushwork.
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an act or instance of passing from one place, condition, etc., to another; transit.
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the permission, right, or freedom to pass.
to refuse passage through a territory.
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the route or course by which a person or thing passes or travels.
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a hall or corridor; passageway.
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an opening or entrance into, through, or out of something.
the nasal passages.
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a voyage by water from one point to another.
a rough passage across the English Channel.
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the privilege of conveyance as a passenger.
to book passage on an ocean liner.
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the price charged for accommodation on a ship; fare.
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a lapse or passing, as of time.
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a progress or course, as of events.
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the enactment into law of a legislative measure.
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an interchange of communications, confidences, etc., between persons.
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an exchange of blows; altercation or dispute.
a passage at arms.
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the act of causing something to pass; transference; transmission.
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an evacuation of the bowels.
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an occurrence, incident, or event.
verb (used without object)
noun
verb (used without object)
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(of a horse) to execute such a movement.
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(of a rider) to cause a horse to execute such a movement.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a channel, opening, etc, through or by which a person or thing may pass
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music a section or division of a piece, movement, etc
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a way, as in a hall or lobby
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a section of a written work, speech, etc, esp one of moderate length
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a journey, esp by ship
the outward passage took a week
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the act or process of passing from one place, condition, etc, to another
passage of a gas through a liquid
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the permission, right, or freedom to pass
to be denied passage through a country
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the enactment of a law or resolution by a legislative or deliberative body
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an evacuation of the bowels
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rare an exchange or interchange, as of blows, words, etc (esp in the phrase passage of arms )
noun
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a sideways walk in which diagonal pairs of feet are lifted alternately
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a cadenced lofty trot, the moment of suspension being clearly defined
verb
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A man appeared in the passage to the dining room—Mr. Archer, presumably—followed by a boy and a girl.
From Literature
The farther down the passage I got, the less it smelled like must and the more it smelled like something else.
From Literature
The Iran conflict is causing chaos for international travelers who planned Middle East stops and for international shippers who rely on the region’s waterways for the passage of cargo, oil, and energy products.
From Barron's
Reports indicate Iran’s military is not allowing passage through the crucial waterway connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned ships to avoid the passage, prompting many vessels to turn back, reroute, or idle nearby.
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.
