passe : Idioms & Phrases

Index

passe partout

Passe" par`tout" noun
Etymology
F., from passer to pass + partout everywhere.
Definitions
  1. That by which one can pass anywhere; a safe-conduct. Obs. Dryden.
  2. A master key; a latchkey.
  3. A light picture frame or mat of cardboard, wood, or the like, usually put between the picture and the glass, and sometimes serving for several pictures.
Webster 1913

passe-partout

  • noun key that secures entrance everywhere
    master; master key; passkey.
  • noun a mounting for a picture using gummed tape
WordNet