Webster's English Dictionary

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past

1. past \'past\ aj [ME, fr. pp. of passen to pass] 1a: AGO {ten years ~}  
   1b: just gone or elapsed {for the ~ few months}  2: having existed or taken 
   place in a period before the present : BYG ONE 3: of, relating to, or 
   constituting a verb tense that in English is usu. f ormed by internal vowel 
   change (as in sang) or by the addition of a suffix (as in laughed) and that 
   is expressive of elapsed time 4: having served as a specified officer in an 
   organization {~ pres ident}
2. past \'past\ pp 1a: beyond the age for or of  1b: AFTER {half ~ two}  
   2a: at the farther side of : BEYOND  2b: in a course or direction going 
   close to and then beyond  obs  3: more than  4: beyond the range, scope, or 
   sphere of 
3. past \'past\ n 1a: time gone by  1b: something that happened or was done 
   in the past  2a: the past tense of a language  2b: a verb form in the past 
   tense  3a: a past life, history, or course of action  3b: a past life or 
   career that is kept secret esp. because of criminal or i mmoral behavior
4. past \'past\ aj : so as to reach and go beyond a point near at hand