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No longer current; gone by; over: His youth is past.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.]