Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A highway or section of a highway that passes around an obstructed or congested area.
  • noun A pipe or channel used to conduct gas or liquid around another pipe or a fixture.
  • noun A means of circumvention.
  • noun An alternative passage created surgically to divert the flow of blood or other bodily fluid or circumvent an obstructed or diseased organ.
  • noun A surgical procedure to create such a channel.
  • transitive verb To avoid (an obstacle) by using an alternative channel, passage, or route.
  • transitive verb To be heedless of; ignore.
  • transitive verb To channel (piped liquid, for example) through a bypass.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun a road that passes around something, such as a residential area
  • noun a circumvention
  • noun a section of pipe that conducts a fluid around some other fixture
  • noun an electrical shunt
  • noun medicine an alternative passage created to divert a bodily fluid around a damaged organ; the surgical procedure to construct such a bypass
  • verb to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • verb to ignore the usual channels or procedures

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

by- +‎ pass

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word bypass.

Examples

  • First of all, the need for a bypass is a no-brainer.

    Archive 2008-02-01 2008

  • I think the Massey Rd. connector to the bypass is a great initiative, and will help with major event traffic quite a bit.

    UVa Building Arts Center at cvillenews.com 2005

  • The San Blas bypass is an option but might depend on time of day and where you want to stay.

    Page 2 2010

  • I've also heard about a new Guadalajara bypass from the east end, heading toward hwy 15 to Colima ...?

    Lagos de Moreno to Ojuelos 2009

  • I've also heard about a new Guadalajara bypass from the east end, heading toward hwy 15 to Colima ...?

    Lagos de Moreno to Ojuelos 2009

  • I've also heard about a new Guadalajara bypass from the east end, heading toward hwy 15 to Colima ...?

    Lagos de Moreno to Ojuelos 2009

  • I've also heard about a new Guadalajara bypass from the east end, heading toward hwy 15 to Colima ...?

    Lagos de Moreno to Ojuelos 2009

  • I've also heard about a new Guadalajara bypass from the east end, heading toward hwy 15 to Colima ...?

    Lagos de Moreno to Ojuelos 2009

  • I've also heard about a new Guadalajara bypass from the east end, heading toward hwy 15 to Colima ...?

    Lagos de Moreno to Ojuelos 2009

  • I've also heard about a new Guadalajara bypass from the east end, heading toward hwy 15 to Colima ...?

    Lagos de Moreno to Ojuelos 2009

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • I used the bypass switch to deactivate it...

    October 2, 2008