Language and Linguistics

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary... -Ologies and -Isms Concise Oxford Companion to... The Concise Oxford... Further reading

past

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English | 2009 | Copyright

past / past/ • adj. gone by in time and no longer existing: the danger is now past. ∎ belonging to a former time: they made a study of the reasons why past attempts had failed he is a past chairman of the society. ∎ (of a specified period of time) occurring before and leading up to the time of speaking or writing: the band has changed over the past twelve months. ∎ Gram. (of a tense) expressing an action that has happened or a state that previously existed. • n. 1. (usu. the past) the time or a period of time before the moment of speaking or writing: she found it hard to make ends meet in the past. ∎ the events of an earlier time: the war-damaged church is preserved as a reminder of the past. ∎ the history of a person, country, or institution: the monuments act as guidelines through the country's colorful past. ∎ a part of a person's history that is considered to be shameful: the heroine was a lady with a past. 2. Gram. a past tense or form of a verb: a simple past of the first conjugation. • prep. to or on the further side of: he rode on past the crossroads. ∎ in front of or from one side to the other of: he began to drive slowly past the houses. ∎ beyond in time; later than: by this time it was past 3:30. ∎ no longer capable of: he is past giving the best advice. ∎ beyond the scope of: my hair was past praying for. • adv. 1. so as to pass from one side of something to the other: large angelfish swim slowly past. ∎ used to indicate the lapse of time: a week went past and nothing changed. 2. at a time later by a specified amount than a particular known hour: we're having speeches in the dining room at half past. PHRASES: not put it past someone believe someone to be capable of doing something wrong or rash: I wouldn't put it past him to slip something into the drinks.DERIVATIVES: past·ness n.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"past." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"past." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-past.html

"past." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-past.html

Learn more about citation styles

Past

-Ologies and -Isms | 1986 | Copyright

308. Past

aboriginality: the condition of being first in a place and of having a relatively simple nature. —aboriginal, n., adj.
antediluvianism: adherence to or fondness for ancient things or customs. —antediluvian, n., adj.
antiquarianism: interest in the culture of antiquity, especially that of classical Greece and Rome. —antiquary, antiquarian, n. —antiquarian, adj.
archaeolatry: devotion to archaism. —archaeolater, n. —archaeolatrous, adj.
archaism: an inclination toward old-fashioned things, speech, etc. Also archaicism. —archaist, n. —archaic, adj.
chronographer: a person who records time or the events that have occurred in time.
chronography: Obsolete, the recording or study of past events.
medievalism: strong fondness or admiration for the culture, mores, etc, of the Middle Ages. —medievalist, n. —medievalistic, adj.
palaetiology: paletiology.
paleology, palaeology: the study of antiquities. —paleologist, palaeologist, n. —paleologic, palaeologic, paleological, palaeological, adj.
paleopathology, palaeopathology: Medicine. the study of diseases from former times as found in fossils and mummified remains.
paletiology, palaetiology: an explanation of events of the past through the laws of causation. —paletiologist, palaetiologist, n. —paletiological, palaetiological, adj.
papyrology: the study of papyrus manuscripts. —papyrologist, n. —papyrological, adj.
philarchaist: Obsolete, one devoted to the archaic. —philarchaic, adj.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"Past." -Ologies and -Isms. 1986. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Past." -Ologies and -Isms. 1986. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505200319.html

"Past." -Ologies and -Isms. 1986. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2505200319.html

Learn more about citation styles

PAST

Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language | 1998 | | Copyright

PAST. A term for a TENSE of the VERB concerned with events, actions, and states that no longer occur. The simple past (or PRETERITE) is regularly formed with -ed (walked). The complex past forms are: the past continuous (or past progressive) which combines a past form of auxiliary be with the -ing participle (was walking); the past perfect (or pluperfect), which combines auxiliary had with the -ed participle (had walked); the past perfect continuous, which combines these two (had been walking). Compare FUTURE, PRESENT.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

TOM McARTHUR. "PAST." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

TOM McARTHUR. "PAST." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O29-PAST.html

TOM McARTHUR. "PAST." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 1998. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O29-PAST.html

Learn more about citation styles

past

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Copyright

past that is gone or has passed away, ago XIV; (gram.) XVI; sb. the p. XVI; one's p. XIX. ME. passed, past; arising out of the perfect tense of the vb. PASS2 formed with the vb. ‘to be’, e.g. the daies ben (i)passed/(i)past.
Hence as prep. beyond in time or place XIII; arising from such construction as ‘The day is short and it is passed pryme’; whence ellipt. as adv. XIX (e.g. to go past).

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

T. F. HOAD. "past." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "past." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-past.html

T. F. HOAD. "past." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-past.html

Learn more about citation styles

past

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable | 2006 | | Copyright

past things past cannot be recalled proverbial saying, late 15th century, meaning that what has already happened cannot be changed (recalled here means ‘brought back’ rather than ‘remembered’).

See also first past the post, the mill cannot grind with the water that is past, the age of miracles is past at miracle.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "past." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "past." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-past.html

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "past." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-past.html

Learn more about citation styles

past

Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes | 2007 | Copyright

past •aghast, avast, Belfast, blast, cast, caste, contrast, fast, last, mast, miscast, outlast, past, rat-arsed, unsurpassed, vast •steadfast • lightfast • holdfast •sunfast • colourfast • flabbergast •simulcast • telecast • typecast •forecast • broadcast • sportscast •downcast •outcast, outcaste •newscast • roughcast • upcast •opencast • worm cast • sandblast •Elastoplast • counterblast • mainmast •mizzenmast • topmast • foremast •fly-past

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"past." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"past." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-past.html

"past." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-past.html

Learn more about citation styles

Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Analysis: State of the war on terror Transcript from: NPR Morning Edition; 9/11/2003
	Interview: Reporter Katrina Bond discusses the murder of Swedish foreign... Transcript from: NPR Morning Edition; 9/11/2003
	Analysis: Vanderbilt University deciding to abolish its athletic department Transcript from: NPR Morning Edition; 9/12/2003