Definitions for passage
ˈpæs ɪdʒpas·sage

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:2.8 / 6 votes

1. passage, transitionnoun

   the act of passing from one state or place to the next

2. passagenoun

   a section of text; particularly a section of medium length

3. passagenoun

   a way through or along which someone or something may pass

4. enactment, passagenoun

   the passing of a law by a legislative body

5. passage, transitnoun

   a journey usually by ship

   "the outward passage took 10 days"

6. passage, musical passagenoun

   a short section of a musical composition

7. passage, passagewaynoun

   a path or channel or duct through or along which something may pass

   "the nasal passages"

8. passage, passingnoun

   a bodily reaction of changing from one place or stage to another

   "the passage of air from the lungs"; "the passing of flatus"

9. passing, passagenoun

   the motion of one object relative to another

   "stellar passings can perturb the orbits of comets"

10. passage, handing overnoun

    the act of passing something to another person

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Passagenoun

   Etymology: passage, French.

   1. Act of passing; travel; course; journey.

   The story of such a passage was true, and Jason with the rest went indeed to rob Colchos, to which they might arrive by boat. Walter Raleigh, History of the World.

   So shalt thou best prepar’d endure
   Thy mortal passage when it comes. John Milton.

   Live like those who look upon themselves as being only on their passage through this state, but as belonging to that which is to come. Francis Atterbury, Sermons.

   Though the passage be troublesome, yet it is secure, and shall in a little time bring us ease and peace at the last. William Wake.

   2. Road; way.

   Human actions are so uncertain, as that seemeth the best course, which hath most passages out of it. Francis Bacon.

   The land enterprize of Panama was grounded upon a false account, that the passages towards it were no better fortified than Drake had left them. Francis Bacon.

   Is there yet no other way besides
   These painful passages, how we may come
   To death, and mix with our connatural dust? John Milton.

   Against which open’d from beneath
   A passage down to th’ earth, a passage wide. John Milton.

   When the passage is open, land will be turned most to great cattle; when shut, to sheep. William Temple.

   The Persian army had advanced into the straight passages of Cilicia, by which means Alexander with his small army was able to fight and conquer them. Robert South, Sermons.

   The passage made by many a winding way,
   Reach’d e’en the room, in which the tyrant lay. Dryden.

   He plies him with redoubled strokes;
   Wheels as he wheels; and with his pointed dart
   Explores the nearest passage to his heart. Dryden.

   I wished for the wings of an eagle, to fly away to those happy seats; but the genius told me there was no passage to them, except through the gates of death. Addison.

   I have often stopped all the passages to prevent the ants going to their own nest. Joseph Addison, Guardian, №. 157.

   When the gravel is separated from the kidney, oily substances relax the passages. John Arbuthnot, on Diet.

   3. Entrance or exit; liberty to pass.

   What, are my doors oppos’d against my passage? William Shakespeare.

   4. The state of decay. Not in use.

   Would some part of my young years
   Might but redeem the passage of your age! William Shakespeare.

   5. Intellectual admittance; mental acceptance.

   I would render this treatise intelligible to every rational man, however little versed in scholastick learning, among whom I expect it will have a fairer passage than among those deeply imbued with other principles. Digby.

   6. Occurrence; hap.

   It is no act of common passage, but
   A strain of rareness. William Shakespeare.

   7. Unsettled state; aptness by condition or nature to change the place of abode.

   Most traders in Ireland are but factors; the cause must be rather an ill opinion of security than of gain: the last intices the poorer traders, young beginners, or those of passage; but without the first, the rich will never settle in the country. William Temple, Miscellanies.

   In man the judgment shoots at flying game;
   A bird of passage! lost as soon as found;
   Now in the moon perhaps, now under ground. Alexander Pope.

   8. Incident; transaction.

   This business as it is a very high passage of state, so it is worthy of serious consideration. John Hayward.

   Thou do’st in thy passages of life
   Make me believe that thou art only mark’d
   For the hot vengeance of heav’n. William Shakespeare, Henry IV.

   9. Management: conduct.

   Upon consideration of the conduct and passage of affairs in former times, the state of England ought to be cleared of an imputation cast upon it. John Davies, on Ireland.

   10. Part of a book; single place in a writing. Endroit, Fr.

   A critic who has no taste nor learning, seldom ventures to praise any passage in an author who has not been before received by the publick. Joseph Addison, Spectator, №. 291.

   As to the cantos, all the passages are as fabulous as the vision at the beginning. Alexander Pope.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. passage

   A passage is a segment or section of a written or spoken work, usually consisting of several sentences or paragraphs. It can also refer to a physical path or corridor, the act or process of moving from one place to another, or a journey or voyage. Additionally, it can indicate the transition from one state or condition to another.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:1.0 / 1 vote

1. Passageverb

   the act of passing; transit from one place to another; movement from point to point; a going by, over, across, or through; as, the passage of a man or a carriage; the passage of a ship or a bird; the passage of light; the passage of fluids through the pores or channels of the body

2. Passageverb

   transit by means of conveyance; journey, as by water, carriage, car, or the like; travel; right, liberty, or means, of passing; conveyance

3. Passageverb

   price paid for the liberty to pass; fare; as, to pay one's passage

4. Passageverb

   removal from life; decease; departure; death

5. Passageverb

   way; road; path; channel or course through or by which one passes; way of exit or entrance; way of access or transit. Hence, a common avenue to various apartments in a building; a hall; a corridor

6. Passageverb

   a continuous course, process, or progress; a connected or continuous series; as, the passage of time

7. Passageverb

   a separate part of a course, process, or series; an occurrence; an incident; an act or deed

8. Passageverb

   a particular portion constituting a part of something continuous; esp., a portion of a book, speech, or musical composition; a paragraph; a clause

9. Passageverb

   reception; currency

10. Passageverb

    a pass or en encounter; as, a passage at arms

11. Passageverb

    a movement or an evacuation of the bowels

12. Passageverb

    in parliamentary proceedings: (a) The course of a proposition (bill, resolution, etc.) through the several stages of consideration and action; as, during its passage through Congress the bill was amended in both Houses. (b) The advancement of a bill or other proposition from one stage to another by an affirmative vote; esp., the final affirmative action of the body upon a proposition; hence, adoption; enactment; as, the passage of the bill to its third reading was delayed

FreebaseRate this definition:2.0 / 2 votes

1. Passage

   Passage is the eighth album by American popular music duo Carpenters. Released in 1977, it produced the hit singles "All You Get from Love Is a Love Song", "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" and "Sweet, Sweet Smile". This album was a considerable departure for the siblings and contained experimental material such as the Klaatu cover "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" single—which reached #32 in the US but was a top ten hit in much of the world. Nonetheless, it was their first album to fall short of gold standard in the US. The Carpenters' version of "Sweet, Sweet Smile" was picked up by Country radio and put the duo in the top ten of Billboard's Country chart in the spring of 1978.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:1.0 / 2 votes

1. Passage

   pas′āj, n. act of passing: a moving from one place or state to another: a journey, as in a ship: course: time occupied in passing: means of passing in or out: a way: entrance: enactment of a law: right of passing: price paid for passing or for being conveyed between two places: occurrence, any incident or episode: a single clause or part of a book, &c.: a modulation in music: (B.) a mountain-pass: ford of a river: (zool.) migratory habits.—v.i. to cross: to walk sideways, of a horse.—Passage of arms, any feat of arms: a quarrel, esp. of words.—Bird of passage, a bird that passes from one climate to another at the change of the seasons.

Dictionary of Nautical TermsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. passage

   A voyage is generally supposed to comprise the outward and homeward passages. Also, a west-country term for ferry. (See VOYAGE.)

Military Dictionary and GazetteerRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. passage

   A pass or encounter; as, a passage at arms.

Editors ContributionRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. passage

   A process or channel.

   The passage from one port to another was easy.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on February 29, 2020  

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. passage

   Song lyrics by passage -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by passage on the Lyrics.com website.

Surnames Frequency by Census RecordsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. PASSAGE

   According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Passage is ranked #49087 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
   
   The Passage surname appeared 429 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Passage.
   
   87.4% or 375 total occurrences were White.
   5.8% or 25 total occurrences were of two or more races.
   2.8% or 12 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
   2.3% or 10 total occurrences were American Indian or Alaskan Native.

Matched Categories

1. • Change Of State
   • Journey
   • Law
   • Legislation
   • Movement
   • Musical Composition
   • Reaction
   • Section
   • Structure
   • Way

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'passage' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #2523

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'passage' in Written Corpus Frequency: #4545

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'passage' in Nouns Frequency: #898

How to pronounce passage?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say passage in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of passage in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of passage in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of passage in a Sentence

1. William James:

   The stream of thought flows on but most of its segments fall into the bottomless abyss of oblivion. Of some, no memory survives the instant of their passage. Of others, it is confined to a few moments, hours or days. Others, again, leave vestiges which are indestructible, and by means of which they may be recalled as long as life endures.

2. Samuel Johnson:

   Read over your compositions, and wherever you meet with a passage which you think is particularly fine, strike it out.

3. Charles de LEUSSE:

   Death is passage, border : I would not have Passport for it ! (La mort n'est qu'un passage, frontière. J'aimerais n'avoir pas de passeport)

4. W. Somerset Maugham:

   When I read a book I seem to read it with my eyes only, but now and then I come across a passage, perhaps only a phrase, which has a meaning for me, and it becomes part of me.

5. Arthur Bowring:

   Ships have the right of free passage... and even if China does eventually take over the South China Sea, this shouldn't affect the passage of merchant ships.

Popularity rank by frequency of use