by·pass / ˈbīˌpas/ • n. a road passing around a town or its center to provide an alternative route for through traffic. ∎  a secondary channel, pipe, or connection to allow a flow when the main one is closed or blocked. ∎  an alternative passage made by surgery, typically to aid the circulation of blood. ∎  a surgical operation to make such a passage: a heart bypass.• v. [tr.] go past or around: bypass the farm and continue to the road. ∎  provide (a town) with a route diverting traffic from its center: the town has been bypassed. ∎  avoid or circumvent (an obstacle or problem): a manager might bypass formal channels of communication.

bypass (by-pahs) n. diversion of a flow from its normal channels, usually by means of surgery. See anastomosis, cardiopulmonary bypass, coronary artery bypass graft, shunt.