means To move past something, hand it along, succeed at a test, decline a turn, or grant permission to enter — depending entirely on context.

from From Latin 'passus,' a step or pace (the same root that gives us 'pace' and 'passage'), which traveled through Old French 'passer,' to go by or cross over. The single idea of stepping past a point quietly branched into all its modern senses: passing a rival, passing a note, passing an exam, passing on dessert, and the backstage 'pass' that lets you step beyond the rope.