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passer-by

Other forms: passers-by

A passer-by is someone who just happens to walk past something. If you trip and spill the contents of your backpack on the sidewalk, a kind passer-by will probably stop and help you gather your things.

If you witness a car accident while you're walking to school, you're a passer-by, and if you stroll past someone who's juggling flaming torches on the sidewalk, you're also a passer-by. Before the mid-sixteenth century, the now-obsolete passager had the same meaning. Today, passer-by is a fairly straightforward word ("one who passes by"); its only slightly confusing aspect being the plural form, which is passers-by.

Definitions of passer-by
  1. noun
    a person who passes by casually or by chance
    synonyms: passer, passerby
    see moresee less
    type of:
    footer, pedestrian, walker
    a person who travels by foot
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘passer-by'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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