past
 
past
 (păst) adjective
1.
	No longer current; gone by; over: His youth is past. 
2.
	Having existed or occurred in an earlier time; bygone: past events; in years past. 
3.
	a. Earlier than the present time; ago: 40 years past. b. Just gone by or elapsed: in the past few days.
4.	Having served formerly in a given capacity, especially an official one: a past president; a past inmate of a cell. 
5.	Abbr. p. Grammar. Of, relating to, or being a verb tense or form used to express an action or a condition prior to the time it is expressed. 
noun
1.
	The time before the present. 
2.
	a. Previous background, career, experiences, and activities: an elderly person with a distinguished past. b. A former period of someone's life kept secret or thought to be shameful: a family with a checkered past.
3.	Abbr. p. Grammar. a. The past tense. b. A verb form in the past tense.
adverb
So as to pass by or go beyond: He waved as he walked past. 
preposition
1.
	Beyond in time; later than or after: past midnight; a quarter past two. 
2.
	Beyond in position; farther than: The house is about a mile past the first stoplight. They walked past the memorial in silence. 
3.
	a. Beyond the power, scope, extent, or influence of: The problem is past the point of resolution. b. Beyond in development or appropriateness: The child is past drinking from a bottle. You're past sucking your thumb, so don't do it.
4.	Beyond the number or amount of: The child couldn't count past 20. See Usage Note at pass.  
 
[Middle English from past participle of passen, to pass. See 
pass.]