pas|sage

pas|sage¹ «PAS ihj», noun, verb, -saged, -sag|ing.

–n.

1. a hall or way through a building; passageway: »

And face with an undaunted tread the long black passage up to bed (Robert Louis Stevenson).

SYNONYM(S): corridor.

2. a means of passing; way through: »

The police opened a passage through the crowd for the governor.

SYNONYM(S): road, path, route.

3. the right, liberty, or leave to pass: »

The guard refused us passage.

4. Figurative. a) the act of passing; going or moving onward: »

the passage of time.

b) the act of passing from one place or state to another: »

the passage from sleep to wakefulness.

5. a piece from a speech or writing: »

a passage from the Bible.

6. a phrase or other division of a piece of music.

7. the act of going across; voyage: »

We had a stormy passage across the Atlantic.

8. a ticket that entitles the holder to transportation, especially by boat: »

to obtain passage for Europe.

9. the act of making into law by a favoring vote of a legislature: »

The passage of the bill by both houses of Congress was forecast by the political reporter.

10. Figurative. what passes between persons.

11. Archaic. an occurrence, incident, or event: »

It is no act of common passage (Shakespeare).

12. Figurative. a) an exchange of blows or a dispute: »

a passage of arms.

b) an amorous encounter.

13. a movement of the bowels.

14. Obsolete. death.

–v.i.

1. to make a passage, as in a ship; move across; pass; cross.

2. to carry on a passage or dispute.

╂[< Old French passage < passer to pass]

pas|sage² «PAS ihj», verb, -saged, -sag|ing, noun.

–v.i.

1. (of a horse) to move sideways, in obedience to pressure of the rider's leg on the opposite side.

2. (of a rider) to cause a horse to do this.

–v.t.

to cause (a horse) to passage.

–n.

a movement of a horse sideways.

╂[< French passager, alteration of passéger to promenade < Italian passeggiare < Latin passus; see etym. under pace¹ (Cf. ↑pace)]