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pass muster

 - 5 dictionary results

mus⋅ter

[muhs-ter]
–verb (used with object)
1. to assemble (troops, a ship's crew, etc.), as for battle, display, inspection, orders, or discharge.
2. to gather, summon, rouse (often fol. by up): He mustered all his courage.
–verb (used without object)
3. to assemble for inspection, service, etc., as troops or forces.
4. to come together; collect; assemble; gather.
–noun
5. an assembling of troops or persons for formal inspection or other purposes.
6. an assemblage or collection.
7. the act of mustering.
8. Also called muster roll. (formerly) a list of the persons enrolled in a military or naval unit.
9. muster in, to enlist into service in the armed forces.
10. muster out, to discharge from service in the armed forces: He will be mustered out of the army in only two more months.
11. pass muster,
a. to pass a cursory inspection.
b. to measure up to a certain standard; be adequate: Your grades don't pass muster.

Origin:
1250–1300; ME mostren (v.) < OF mostrer < L mōnstrāre to show, deriv. of mōnstrum portent; see monster


1. convoke. See gather. 1, 4. convene; congregate. 5. gathering, assembly, convention.


1, 4. scatter, separate.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To pass muster
mus·ter   (mŭs'tər)   
v.   mus·tered, mus·ter·ing, mus·ters

v.   tr.
  1. To call (troops) together, as for inspection.

  2. To cause to come together; gather: Bring all the volunteers you can muster.

  3. To call forth; summon up: mustering up her strength for the ordeal. See Synonyms at call.

v.   intr.
To assemble or gather: mustering for inspection.
n.  
    1. A gathering, especially of troops, for service, inspection, review, or roll call.

    2. The persons assembled for such a gathering.

  1. A muster roll.

  2. A gathering or collection: a muster of business leaders at a luncheon.

  3. A flock of peacocks. See Synonyms at flock1.

Phrasal Verb(s):
muster inTo enlist or be enlisted in military service: She mustered in at the age of 18.
muster outTo discharge or be discharged from military service: He was mustered out when the war ended.

Idiom(s):
pass musterTo be judged as acceptable.

[Middle English mustren, from Old French moustrer, from Latin mōnstrāre, to show, from mōnstrum, sign, portent, from monēre, to warn; see men-1 in Indo-European roots.]
pass   (pās)   
v.   passed, pass·ing, pass·es

v.   intr.
  1. To move on or ahead; proceed.

  2. To extend; run: The river passes through our land.

    1. To move by: The band passed and the crowd cheered.

    2. To move past another vehicle: The sports car passed on the right.

    3. To be transferred from one to another; circulate: The wine passed around the table.

    4. Sports To transfer a ball or puck to a teammate.

    5. To be allowed to happen without notice or challenge: Let their rude remarks pass.

    6. Sports & Games To decline one's turn to bid, draw, bet, compete, or play.

    7. To decline an offer: When we offered him dessert, he passed.

    8. To serve as a barely acceptable substitute: The spare tire was nearly bald but would pass until we bought a new one.

    9. To be accepted as a member of a group by denying one's own ancestry or background.

    10. To pronounce an opinion, judgment, or sentence.

    11. To sit in adjudication.

  3. To gain passage despite obstacles: pass through difficult years.

  4. To move past in time; elapse: The days passed quickly.

    1. To be transferred from one to another; circulate: The wine passed around the table.

    2. Sports To transfer a ball or puck to a teammate.

    3. To be allowed to happen without notice or challenge: Let their rude remarks pass.

    4. Sports & Games To decline one's turn to bid, draw, bet, compete, or play.

    5. To decline an offer: When we offered him dessert, he passed.

    6. To serve as a barely acceptable substitute: The spare tire was nearly bald but would pass until we bought a new one.

    7. To be accepted as a member of a group by denying one's own ancestry or background.

    8. To pronounce an opinion, judgment, or sentence.

    9. To sit in adjudication.

  5. To be communicated or exchanged between persons: Loud words passed in the corridor.

  6. To be transferred or conveyed to another by will or deed: The title passed to the older heir.

  7. To undergo transition from one condition, form, quality, or characteristic to another: Daylight passed into darkness.

  8. To come to an end: My anger suddenly passed. The headache finally passed.

  9. To cease to exist; die. Often used with on: The patient passed on during the night.

  10. To happen; take place: What passed during the day?

    1. To be allowed to happen without notice or challenge: Let their rude remarks pass.

    2. Sports & Games To decline one's turn to bid, draw, bet, compete, or play.

    3. To decline an offer: When we offered him dessert, he passed.

    4. To serve as a barely acceptable substitute: The spare tire was nearly bald but would pass until we bought a new one.

    5. To be accepted as a member of a group by denying one's own ancestry or background.

    6. To pronounce an opinion, judgment, or sentence.

    7. To sit in adjudication.

  11. To undergo an examination or a trial with favorable results.

    1. To serve as a barely acceptable substitute: The spare tire was nearly bald but would pass until we bought a new one.

    2. To be accepted as a member of a group by denying one's own ancestry or background.

    3. To pronounce an opinion, judgment, or sentence.

    4. To sit in adjudication.

  12. To be approved or adopted: The motion to adjourn passed.

  13. Law

    1. To pronounce an opinion, judgment, or sentence.

    2. To sit in adjudication.

  14. To be voided: Luckily the kidney stone passed before she had to be hospitalized.

  15. Sports To thrust or lunge in fencing.

v.   tr.
  1. To go by without stopping; leave behind.

    1. To go by without paying attention to; disregard or ignore: If you pass the new photographs in the collection, you'll miss some outstanding ones.

    2. To fail to pay (a dividend).

    3. To undergo (a trial or examination) with favorable results: She passed every test.

    4. To cause or allow to go through a trial, test, or examination successfully: The instructor passed all the candidates.

    5. To cause to move: We passed our hands over the fabric.

    6. To cause to move into a certain position: pass a ribbon around a package.

    7. To cause to move as part of a process: pass liquid through a filter.

    8. To cause to go by: The sergeant passed his troops before the general and halted them at the grandstand.

    9. Baseball To walk (a batter).

    10. To maneuver (the bull) by means of a pase in bullfighting.

    11. To cause to be transferred from one to another; circulate: They passed the news quickly.

    12. To hand over to someone else: Please pass the bread.

    13. Sports To transfer (a ball, for example) to a teammate, as by throwing.

    14. To cause to be accepted; circulate fraudulently: pass counterfeit money.

    15. Law To transfer title or ownership of.

    16. To approve; adopt: The legislature passed the bill.

    17. To be sanctioned, ratified, or approved by: The bill passed the House of Representatives.

  2. To go beyond; surpass: The inheritance passed my wildest dreams.

  3. To go across; go through: We passed the border into Mexico.

    1. To undergo (a trial or examination) with favorable results: She passed every test.

    2. To cause or allow to go through a trial, test, or examination successfully: The instructor passed all the candidates.

    3. To cause to move: We passed our hands over the fabric.

    4. To cause to move into a certain position: pass a ribbon around a package.

    5. To cause to move as part of a process: pass liquid through a filter.

    6. To cause to go by: The sergeant passed his troops before the general and halted them at the grandstand.

    7. Baseball To walk (a batter).

    8. To maneuver (the bull) by means of a pase in bullfighting.

    9. To cause to be transferred from one to another; circulate: They passed the news quickly.

    10. To hand over to someone else: Please pass the bread.

    11. Sports To transfer (a ball, for example) to a teammate, as by throwing.

    12. To cause to be accepted; circulate fraudulently: pass counterfeit money.

    13. Law To transfer title or ownership of.

    14. To approve; adopt: The legislature passed the bill.

    15. To be sanctioned, ratified, or approved by: The bill passed the House of Representatives.

    1. To cause to move: We passed our hands over the fabric.

    2. To cause to move into a certain position: pass a ribbon around a package.

    3. To cause to move as part of a process: pass liquid through a filter.

    4. To cause to go by: The sergeant passed his troops before the general and halted them at the grandstand.

    5. Baseball To walk (a batter).

    6. To maneuver (the bull) by means of a pase in bullfighting.

    7. To cause to be transferred from one to another; circulate: They passed the news quickly.

    8. To hand over to someone else: Please pass the bread.

    9. Sports To transfer (a ball, for example) to a teammate, as by throwing.

    10. To cause to be accepted; circulate fraudulently: pass counterfeit money.

    11. Law To transfer title or ownership of.

    12. To approve; adopt: The legislature passed the bill.

    13. To be sanctioned, ratified, or approved by: The bill passed the House of Representatives.

  4. To allow to go by or elapse; spend: He passed his winter in Vermont.

  5. To allow to cross a barrier: The border guard passed the tourists.

    1. To cause to be transferred from one to another; circulate: They passed the news quickly.

    2. To hand over to someone else: Please pass the bread.

    3. Sports To transfer (a ball, for example) to a teammate, as by throwing.

    4. To cause to be accepted; circulate fraudulently: pass counterfeit money.

    5. Law To transfer title or ownership of.

    6. To approve; adopt: The legislature passed the bill.

    7. To be sanctioned, ratified, or approved by: The bill passed the House of Representatives.

  6. To discharge (body waste, for example); void.

    1. To approve; adopt: The legislature passed the bill.

    2. To be sanctioned, ratified, or approved by: The bill passed the House of Representatives.

  7. To pronounce; utter: pass judgment; pass sentence on an offender.

n.  
  1. The act of passing; passage.

  2. A way, such as a narrow gap between mountains, that affords passage around, over, or through a barrier. See Synonyms at way.

    1. A permit, ticket, or authorization to come and go at will.

    2. A free ticket entitling one to transportation or admisssion.

    3. Written leave of absence from military duty.

    4. A sweep or run, as by an aircraft, over or toward an area or target.

    5. A single complete cycle of operations, as by a machine or computer program.

    6. Sports A transfer of a ball or puck between teammates.

    7. Sports A lunge or thrust in fencing.

    8. Baseball A base on balls.

    1. A sweep or run, as by an aircraft, over or toward an area or target.

    2. A single complete cycle of operations, as by a machine or computer program.

    3. Sports A transfer of a ball or puck between teammates.

    4. Sports A lunge or thrust in fencing.

    5. Baseball A base on balls.

  3. A condition or situation, often critical in nature; a predicament. See Synonyms at crisis.

  4. A sexual invitation or overture.

  5. A motion of the hand or the waving of a wand.

    1. Sports A transfer of a ball or puck between teammates.

    2. Sports A lunge or thrust in fencing.

    3. Baseball A base on balls.

  6. Sports & Games A refusal to bid, draw, bet, compete, or play.

  7. Games A winning throw of the dice in craps.

  8. A pase in bullfighting.

  9. To pass out of existence; end.

  10. To die.

  11. To offer, sell, or put into circulation (an imitation) as genuine: pass off glass as a gemstone.

  12. To present (one's self) as other than what one is: tried to pass himself off as a banker.

Phrasal Verb(s):
pass away
  1. To pass out of existence; end.

  2. To die.

pass forTo be accepted as or believed to be: You could pass for a teenager. The fake painting passed for an original.
pass off
  1. To offer, sell, or put into circulation (an imitation) as genuine: pass off glass as a gemstone.

  2. To present (one's self) as other than what one is: tried to pass himself off as a banker.

pass outTo lose consciousness.
pass overTo leave out; disregard.
pass up Informal To let go by; reject: pass up a chance for promotion; an opportunity too good to pass up.

Idiom(s):
bring to passTo cause to happen.

Idiom(s):
come to passTo occur.

Idiom(s):
pass musterTo pass an examination or inspection; measure up to a given standard.

Idiom(s):
pass (one's) lips
  1. To be eaten or drunk.

  2. To issue or be spoken: Rumors never passed her lips.


Idiom(s):
pass the hatTo take up a collection of money.

Idiom(s):
pass the time of dayTo exchange greetings or engage in pleasantries.

Idiom(s):
pass the torchTo relinquish (responsibilities, for example) to another or others.

[Middle English passen, from Old French passer, from Vulgar Latin passāre, from Latin passus, step; see pace1.]
pass'er n.
Usage Note: The past tense and past participle of pass is passed: They passed (or have passed) our home. Time had passed slowly. Past is the corresponding adjective (in centuries past), adverb (drove past), preposition (past midnight), and noun (lived in the past).
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

muster  (v.)
c.1300, "to display, reveal, appear," from O.Fr. mostrer (modern Fr. montrer), from L. monstrare "to show," from monstrum "omen, sign" (see monster). Noun meaning "act of gathering troops" is c.1400. To pass musters (1575) originally meant "to undergo military review without censure." To muster out "gather to be discharged from military service" is 1834, Amer.Eng. To muster up in the fig. and transf. sense of "gather, summon, marshal" is from 1628.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Idioms & Phrases

pass muster

Meet a required standard, as in That yard cleanup won't pass muster with Mom. This expression originally meant "to undergo a military review without censure," muster referring to an assembling of troops for inspection or a similar purpose. [Late 1500s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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