Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Passage?

\Pas"sage\, n. [F. passage. See {Pass}, v. i.] 1. 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. What! are my doors opposed against my passage! --Shak. 2. Transit by means of conveyance; journey, as by water, carriage, car, or the like; travel; right, liberty, or means, of passing; conveyance. The ship in which he had taken passage. --Macaulay. 3. Price paid for the liberty to pass; fare; as, to pay one's passage. 4. Removal from life; decease; departure; death. [R.] ``Endure thy mortal passage.'' --Milton. When he is fit and season'd for his passage. --Shak. 5. 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. And with his pointed dart Explores the nearest passage to his heart. --Dryden. The Persian army had advanced into the . . . passages of Cilicia. --South. 6. A continuous course, process, or progress; a connected or continuous series; as, the passage of time. The conduct and passage of affairs. --Sir J. Davies. The passage and whole carriage of this action. --Shak. 7. A separate part of a course, process, or series; an occurrence; an incident; an act or deed. ``In thy passages of life.'' --Shak. The . . . almost incredible passage of their unbelief. --South. 8. A particular portion constituting a part of something continuous; esp., a portion of a book, speech, or musical composition; a paragraph; a clause. How commentators each dark passage shun. --Young. 9. Reception; currency. [Obs.] --Sir K. Digby. 10. A pass or en encounter; as, a passage at arms. No passages of love Betwixt us twain henceforward evermore. --Tennyson. 11. A movement or an evacuation of the bowels. 12. 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. ``The passage of the Stamp Act.'' --D. Hosack. The final question was then put upon its passage. --Cushing. {In passage}, in passing; cursorily. ``These . . . have been studied but in passage.'' --Bacon. {Middle passage}, {Northeast passage}, {Northwest passage}. See under {Middle}, {Northeast}, etc. {Of passage}, passing from one place, region, or climate, to another; migratory; -- said especially of birds. ``Birds of passage.'' --Longfellow. {Passage hawk}, a hawk taken on its passage or migration. {Passage money}, money paid for conveyance of a passenger, -- usually for carrying passengers by water. Syn: Vestibule; hall; corridor. See {Vestibule}.