Passover

1 of 2

noun

Pass·​over ˈpas-ˌō-vər How to pronounce Passover (audio)
: 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

Example Sentences

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
Democratic and Republican lawmakers questioned how the balloon was allowed to pass over the United States, with Republicans blaming Mr. Biden for not acting sooner. Edward Wong, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2023 The core of the cold is expected to pass over the Northeast and specifically, northern New England, bringing potentially the coldest weather that parts of the region have felt in decades. Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 2 Feb. 2023 Expected to pass over at 7:27 pm EST, the asteroid does not pose a risk to the planet. Devika Rao, The Week, 26 Jan. 2023 Gladys Sicknick, the mother of Brian Sicknick, appeared to pass over McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in a handshake line with congressional leaders. Libby Cathey, ABC News, 6 Dec. 2022 The council voted 4-1 on Tuesday to pass over the notification proposal. Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Nov. 2022 Julia, moving west-northwest at 15 mph, is forecast to pass over southern Guatemala on Monday and then dissipate by the evening, the center’s latest advisory said. Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 10 Oct. 2022 Ladd McConkey, who had two fumbles last week, dropped a pass over the middle that ended one drive. Marc Weiszer, USA TODAY, 2 Oct. 2022 Showers and thunderstorms at the outskirts of the hurricane had already started to pass over the Florida Keys on Monday, according to the National Weather Service, which warned that conditions would deteriorate. BostonGlobe.com, 26 Sep. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'Passover.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of Passover was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near Passover

pass over

Passover

passport

Cite this Entry

“Passover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Passover. Accessed 20 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

Passover

1 of 2 noun
Pass·​over ˈpas-ˌō-vər How to pronounce Passover (audio)
: 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

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