Main Entry: ¹pas·sage

Pronunciation: \ˈpas-ij\

Function: noun

1 : the action or process of passing from one place, condition, or stage to another <the passage of air from the lungs—Encyclopedia Americana>
2 : an anatomical channel <the nasal passages>
3 : a movement or an evacuation of the bowels
4 a : an act or action of passing something or undergoing a passing <passage of a catheter through the urethra> b : incubation of a pathogen (as a virus) in a tissue culture, a developing egg, or a living organism to increase the amount of pathogen or to alter its characteristics <several passages of the virus through mice>