Pass

See also: pass, Paß, and pass.

English

Etymology

• As an English surname, from a pet form of the medieval name Passe, itself probably a pet form of Pascal.
• As a German surname, from the noun Pass (“pass, passageway”).
• As a Jewish surname, from Polish pas (“belt, girdle”).
• Also as an English surname, from Middle English passe, referring to passages. Compare Passage.

Proper noun

Pass

1. A surname.

Anagrams

• APSS, ASPs, PSAS, PSAs, SAPs, asps, saps, spas

German

Alternative forms

• Paß (deprecated)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pas/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -as

Etymology 1

From Early New High German pass, from Middle High German pas (“parts of a deer's entrails”) (but also West Central German "step, walk, gait, way", also "the right measure; the right, appropriate time" by influence of Middle Dutch, whence Late Middle High German pas (“"measured part, section”), compare the verb passen). Borrowed from Old French pas (“pace, step”) (partially intermediated by Middle Dutch pas), from Latin passus. The meaning "pass, passageway" is first recorded in the 15th century and is possibly influenced by Italian passo (“pass”). The meaning "pace of an animal" is first recorded in the 16th century.

Noun

Pass m (strong, genitive Passes, plural Pässe)

1. pass, mountain pass
2. pace (2-beat, lateral gait of an animal)

   Synonym: Passgang

Declension

Declension of Pass [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Pass	die	Pässe
genitive	eines	des	Passes	der	Pässe
dative	einem	dem	Pass, Passe1	den	Pässen
accusative	einen	den	Pass	die	Pässe

¹Now rare, see notes.

Hyponyms

• Alpenpass, Bergpass, Engpass, Himalayapass

Etymology 2

Shortening of Early New High German paßport (first recorded 15th century), borrowed from Middle French passe-port or French passeport. Today chiefly used as short form of Reisepass (first recorded 17th century).

Noun

Pass m (strong, genitive Passes, plural Pässe)

1. pass (document granting permission to pass)
2. Short for Reisepass.
3. (by extension, colloquial) citizenship
   • 2023, Daniel Thym, “Fallstricke des »Doppelpasses«: rechtliche Inhalte und legitime Symbolik”, in JuristenZeitung, volume 78, number 12, →DOI, pages 546a of 539–548:

     Wenn nun künftig Ausländer und deren Kinder schneller Deutsche werden, steigt die Wahrscheinlichkeit, dass mehr ins Heimatland zurückkehren, kurz nachdem sie Deutsche wurden, und sodann ein Auslandswahlrecht besitzen. Im Ausland wird der deutsche Pass sodann unbegrenzt vererbt, wenn die Eltern nicht vergessen, die Geburt eines Kindes dem deutschen Konsulat binnen eines Jahres zu melden. Vgl. § 4 Abs. 4 StAG.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Declension

Declension of Pass [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Pass	die	Pässe
genitive	eines	des	Passes	der	Pässe
dative	einem	dem	Pass, Passe1	den	Pässen
accusative	einen	den	Pass	die	Pässe

¹Now rare, see notes.

Hyponyms

• Ahnenpass, Arbeitspass, Laufpass, Reisepass, Skipass

Related terms

• Passausgabe, Passbild, Passfälschung, Passkontrolle, Passvergehen, Passverlängerung

Etymology 3

20th century borrowing from English pass, from Middle English pas, pase, pace, from passen (“to pass”), from Old French passer, from Vulgar Latin *passāre, ultimately from Latin pandō.

Noun

Pass m (strong, genitive Passes, plural Pässe)

1. (sports) pass (The act of moving the ball or puck from one player to another.)

Declension

Declension of Pass [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Pass	die	Pässe
genitive	eines	des	Passes	der	Pässe
dative	einem	dem	Pass, Passe1	den	Pässen
accusative	einen	den	Pass	die	Pässe

¹Now rare, see notes.

Derived terms

• passen

Etymology 4

Noun

Pass m (strong, genitive Passes, plural Pässe)

1. (architecture, dated) gothic pass (an ornament consisting of several arches)

Derived terms

• Dreipass

Usage notes

• The spelling Pass has been the prescribed spelling since the German spelling reform of 1996 (the Rechtschreibreform). In Switzerland and Liechtenstein, it had already been standard since ⟨ß⟩ was deprecated in the 1930s. In the affected areas, the previous spelling (Paß) is now less common, and may be regarded as a misspelling.

Further reading

• “Pass” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Pass” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “Pass (Architektur, gotische Figur)” in Duden online
• “Pass (Übergang, Übergabe)” in Duden online
• Pass on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^de

Luxembourgish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɑs/

  Rhymes: -ɑs

Etymology 1

Ultimately from Old French pas (“step, pace”). This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term. Inherited from MHG or borrowed?

Noun

Pass m (plural Päss)

1. pass (permission or license to pass)
2. passport
3. pass (road, e.g. a mountain pass)

Synonyms

• (road): Col

Etymology 2

Borrowed from French passe.

Noun

Pass f (plural Passen)

1. (sports) pass