Passover

1 of 2

noun

Pass·​over ˈpas-ˌō-vər 

: a Jewish holiday beginning on the 14th of Nisan and commemorating the Hebrews' liberation from slavery in Egypt

pass over

2 of 2

verb

passed over; passing over; passes over

transitive verb

1

: to ignore in passing

2

: to pay no attention to the claims of : disregard

Synonyms

Verb

• ignore
• forget

Examples of Passover in a Sentence

Verb

you seem to have passed over an important e-mail notice

I'd be willing to pass over this latest episode of tardiness if there hadn't been so many before.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

American soybean farmers who long relied on Chinese sales are now being passed over for exports from Brazil, Argentina and elsewhere. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2025

Pumps are working, but the storm cell that just passed over the SE Valley dropped a bunch of rain here. —Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Oct. 2025

Not recruited by the biggest college programs, undrafted by the WNBA and perpetually passed over by NBA teams looking for head coaches. —Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025

Then, on the very next drive, Bloise fired a pass over the middle. —Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 11 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

from the exemption of the Israelites from the slaughter of the firstborn in Egypt (Exodus 12:23–27)

First Known Use

Noun

1530, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Passover

• carryover
• changeover
• crossover
• cutover
• flashover
• hangover
• holdover
• layover
• leftover
• makeover
• moreover
• pullover

Kids Definition

Passover

1 of 2 noun

Pass·​over ˈpas-ˌō-vər 

: a Jewish holiday celebrated in March or April in honor of the freeing of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt

pass over

2 of 2 verb

(ˈ)pas-ˈō-vər

1

: to ignore in passing

2

: to pay no attention to

Etymology

Noun

so called because in Exodus 12:23–27 the Lord passes over the homes of the Israelites in killing the firstborn in Egypt