past

English Online Dictionary. What means past‎? What does past mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English, past participle of passen (“to pass, to go by”), whence Modern English pass.

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: päst, IPA^(key): /pɑːst/
• (US) enPR: păst, IPA^(key): /pæst/
• Homophone: passed
• Rhymes: -æst, -ɑːst

Noun

past (plural pasts)

1. The period of time that has already happened, in contrast to the present and the future.
   • 1830, Daniel Webster, a speech

     The past, at least, is secure.
2. (grammar) The past tense.

Synonyms

• (period of time that has already happened): foretime, yestertide; see also Thesaurus:the past

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• preterite

Adjective

past (comparative more past, superlative most past)

1. Having already happened; in the past; finished. [from 14th c.]
2. (postmodifier) Following expressions of time to indicate how long ago something happened; ago. [from 15th c.]
3. Of a period of time: having just gone by; previous. [from 15th c.]
4. (grammar) Of a tense, expressing action that has already happened or a previously-existing state. [from 18th c.]

Synonyms

• (having already happened): bygone, foregone; see also Thesaurus:past
• (having just gone by): foregone, preceding, used-to-be; see also Thesaurus:former

Translations

Adverb

past (comparative more past, superlative most past)

1. In a direction that passes.

   Synonym: by

   I watched him walk past

Translations

Preposition

past

1. Beyond in place or quantity

   the room past mine

   count past twenty

2. (time) Any number of minutes after the last hour

   What's the time? - It's now quarter past twelve midday (or 12.15pm).

   Antonym: to
3. No longer capable of.

   I'm past caring what he thinks of me.

4. Having recovered or moved on from (a traumatic experience, etc.).
5. Passing by, especially without stopping or being delayed.

   Ignore them, we'll play past them.

   Please don't drive past the fruit stand, I want to stop there.

Derived terms

• see past
• see past the end of one's nose

Translations

Verb

past

1. (obsolete) simple past and past participle of pass

Related terms

Anagrams

• APTS, APTs, ATSP, PATs, PSAT, PTAs, PTSA, Pats, TAPs, TPAs, Taps, ap'ts, apts, pats, spat, stap, taps

Czech

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *pastь,

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈpast]
• Rhymes: -ast

Noun

past f

1. trap (a device designed to catch and sometimes kill animals)

   past na myši ― mousetrap

Declension

Derived terms

See also

• léčka
• záloha
• nástraha
• úskalí

Further reading

• past in Příruční slovník jazyka českého, 1935–1957
• past in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989
• past in Internetová jazyková příručka

Anagrams

• spát
• psát

Dutch

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɑst
• IPA^(key): /pɑst/

Verb

past

1. inflection of passen:
   1. second/third-person singular present indicative
   2. (archaic) plural imperative

Anagrams

• spat, stap, taps

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French past, from Latin pastus (“pasture”).

Noun

past m (plural pasts)

1. food, meal

Old French

Alternative forms

• paist, pest, pas

Etymology

From Latin pastus (“pasture”), probably influenced by paste (“dough, pastry”).

Noun

past oblique singular, m (nominative singular past)

1. food, meal

Descendants

• Middle French: past

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /past/
• Rhymes: -ast
• Syllabification: past

Noun

past f

1. genitive plural of pasta

Slovene

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *pastь.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /páːst/

Noun

pȃst f

1. trap

Inflection

Verb

pȃst

1. supine of pásti

Further reading

• “past”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU, portal Fran