passed

Passed is the past tense and past participle of the verb pass. It has several common meanings, typically signaling movement from one side or state to another, completion of an action, or achievement of a criterion.

As a verb, passed describes physical movement: a vehicle or person going by another object ('The car passed the cyclist'). It also marks the passage of time ('Two hours passed') and the successful completion or approval of something ('The bill passed', 'She passed the exam'). It can indicate transfer or handing in games and sports ('He passed the ball to his teammate').

Common expressions include 'to pass the threshold' or 'to pass a test' in the sense of meeting requirements, and 'to pass over' for neglect or omission. The phrase 'passed away' is a widely used euphemism for death, while 'pass over' may also mean to omit or overlook.

Etymology and pronunciation: Passed derives from the verb pass, itself from Latin passus via Old French passer and Middle English. The pronunciation of the final -ed is typically a voiceless /t/, so passed sounds like past. The word inflects as pass, passes, passed, passing in its various forms.