pass over

See also: Passover

English

Verb

pass over (third-person singular simple present passes over, present participle passing over, simple past and past participle passed over)

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see pass,‎ over.

   Could you pass the condiments over, please? (transitive with over as adverbial particle)

   We are now passing over the Gulf of Bothnia. (intransitive with over as preposition)

2. (transitive with over as adverbial particle) To bypass or disregard in favour of someone or something else.

   I can't believe they passed you over for promotion.

   • 2000, “3 Libras”, performed by A Perfect Circle:

     Difficult not to feel a little bit
     Disappointed and passed over
     When I look right through
     To see you naked but oblivious
     And you don't see me

3. (intransitive with over as preposition):
   1. To bypass (something); to skip (something).

      Let's pass over that topic for now.

   2. To make a transit of; to pass through or across (something).
      • 1953 November, John Bourne, “The Burry Port & Gwendraeth Valley Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 744:

        Before the train passed over any of the level crossings on the branch, it came to a stand, and the guard went forward and hand-signalled it over.

      • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 8, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

        It was a casual sneer, obviously one of a long line. There was hatred behind it, but of a quiet, chronic type, nothing new or unduly virulent, and he was taken aback by the flicker of amazed incredulity that passed over the younger man's ravaged face.

   3. To overlook; not to note or resent.

      to pass over an affront

4. (intransitive with over as adverbial particle, euphemistic) To die and thus progress to the afterlife.
   • 1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:

     "But why should I be in another room?" "You passed over in the night." "Passed over? Do you mean I died?" "Yes, lady, you died." There was a long silence.

   • 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 276:

     Death does not change him, and when such a one passes over, he lingers to impress his vileness still further upon weak humanity.

Synonyms

• (bypass): bypass, ignore, jump, omit, skip
• (make a transit of): cover, cross, traverse
• (fly over): fly over, overfly
• (die): cross over, die, fall asleep, pass, pass away, pass on

Derived terms

• Passover

Anagrams

• overpass