Definition

Noun: 1. An opening in a wall or partition, typically between two rooms, allowing items to be passed from one side to the other. This is often a built-in architectural feature, such as a shelved opening between a kitchen and a dining area used for serving food. 2. Something that allows for transmission or transfer. In a more abstract sense, it can refer to a channel or mechanism through which something (like costs, data, or signals) is transferred without being substantially altered.

Usage Examples

• The old house had a convenient pass-through from the kitchen to the breakfast nook.
• We handed the plates through the pass-through to the server.
• The new tax law acts as a pass-through, allowing business income to be reported on the owners' personal returns.
• The device is a simple signal pass-through; it doesn't process the data.

Advanced Usage

• "Pass-through entity" (Business/Law): A legal entity, such as an S-corporation or partnership, where income "passes through" directly to the owners' or investors' personal tax returns, avoiding corporate income tax.
  • Example: Many small businesses are set up as pass-through entities for tax advantages.
• "Pass-through cost" (Economics/Commerce): A cost incurred by one party that is directly charged or transferred to another party.
  • Example: The fuel surcharge is a pass-through cost billed directly to the customer.

Variants and Related Words

• Pass-through can also function as a hyphenated adjective, as seen in "pass-through entity" or "pass-through window."
• Passageway: A broader term for any corridor or opening allowing passage.
• Service window: A specific type of pass-through, often with a counter, used in restaurants or banks.
• Conduit: A channel for conveying something, often used in abstract or technical contexts similar to the second definition.

Synonyms

• Opening
• Hatch
• Window
• Conduit
• Channel

Related Phrases

• Pass through (phrasal verb): To go through a place without stopping, or to undergo an experience.
  • Example: We will pass through the city on our way to the coast.
  • Example: The bill must pass through several committees before a vote.

Related Idioms

• (To serve) through the pass: A phrase used in restaurant kitchens, where the "pass" is the counter or window where cooks place finished dishes for servers to collect.
  • Example: "Order for table six is ready on the pass!"

Noun

1. an opening that resembles a window between two rooms (especially a shelved opening between a kitchen and dining room that is used to pass dishes)