Standard Lemma guide

bypass

noun · verb · 12 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˈbaɪpæs/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈbaɪpɑːs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: B AY1 P AE2 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A road that passes around something, such as a residential area or business district.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A replacement road for obsolete road that is no longer in use because devastating natural disasters (earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The act of going past or around.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A section of pipe that conducts a fluid around some other fixture.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

An electrical shunt.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

An alternative passage created to divert a bodily fluid around a damaged organ; the surgical procedure to construct such a bypass.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To ignore the usual channels or procedures.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

a highway that encircles an urban area so that traffic does not have to pass through the center

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: beltway, ring road, ringway

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: highway, main road

10

noun

Meaning 10

a conductor having low resistance in parallel with another device to divert a fraction of the current

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: shunt, electrical shunt

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: conductor

11

noun

Meaning 11

a surgically created shunt (usually around a damaged part)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: shunt

12

verb

Meaning 12

avoid something unpleasant or laborious

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • You cannot bypass these rules!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: short-circuit, go around, get around

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: avoid

History

Etymology

From Middle English *bypassen, *bipassen (suggested by past participle by-past, bipast), equivalent to by- + pass.

Across languages

Translations

164 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: обиколен път (obikolen pǎt) — road
  • Catalan: apartador — road
  • Catalan: variant — road
  • Catalan: camí secundari — road
  • Catalan: ronda (carretera) — road
  • Czech: obchvat — road
  • Danish: omfartsvej — road
  • Dutch: wegomleiding — road
  • Dutch: rondweg — road
  • Dutch: sluipweg — road
  • Finnish: ohikulkutie — road
  • Finnish: ohitustie — road
  • French: déviation — road
  • French: contournement — road
  • French: rocade — road
  • Galician: variante — road
  • German: Umgehungsstraße — road
  • Greek: πάροδος (párodos) — road
  • Greek: πλάγια οδός (plágia odós) — road
  • Greek: παρακαμπτήριος (parakamptírios) — road
  • Hungarian: elkerülő út — road
  • Hungarian: kerülőút — road
  • Hungarian: terelőút — road
  • Indonesian: jalan lingkar — road
  • Indonesian: jalan elak — road
  • Indonesian: by-pass — road
  • Irish: seachbhealach — road
  • Irish: seachbhóthar — road
  • Irish: seachród — road
  • Japanese: 迂回路 (ukairo) — road
  • Japanese: バイパス (baipasu) — road
  • Latvian: apvedceļš — road
  • Macedonian: обиколница (obikolnica) — road
  • Macedonian: бајпас (bajpas) — road
  • Malay: pintasan — road
  • Māori: ara autaki — road
  • Norwegian Bokmål: omkjøringsvei — road
  • Persian: کنارگذر (kenār gozar) — road
  • Polish: obwodnica — road
  • Portuguese: desvio — road
  • Portuguese: contorno — road
  • Romanian: deviație — road
  • Romanian: ocolire — road
  • Russian: обходно́й путь (obxodnój putʹ) — road
  • Russian: обходна́я доро́га (obxodnája doróga) — road
  • Spanish: variante — road
  • Spanish: libramiento — road
  • Swedish: förbifart — road
  • Swedish: kringled — road
  • Swedish: förbifartsled — road
  • Swedish: omfartsväg — road
  • Welsh: ffordd osgoi — road
  • Afrikaans: afvlak — circumvention
  • Bulgarian: заобикаляне (zaobikaljane) — circumvention
  • Catalan: desviació — circumvention
  • Dutch: omweg — circumvention
  • Dutch: rondweg — circumvention
  • Finnish: kiertäminen — circumvention
  • Finnish: ohikulku — circumvention
  • Finnish: ohitus — circumvention
  • French: contournement — circumvention
  • German: Umgehung — circumvention
  • Greek: παράκαμψη (parákampsi) — circumvention
  • Greek: καταστρατήγηση (katastratígisi) — circumvention
  • Hungarian: megkerülés — circumvention
  • Hungarian: elkerülés — circumvention
  • Macedonian: заобиколување (zaobikoluvanje) — circumvention
  • Portuguese: desvio — circumvention
  • Russian: обхо́д (obxód) — circumvention
  • Spanish: puenteo — circumvention
  • Spanish: baipás — circumvention
  • Spanish: bypass — circumvention
  • Welsh: dargyfeiriad — circumvention
  • Bulgarian: байпас (bajpas) — section of pipe
  • Catalan: derivació — section of pipe
  • Catalan: canal de derivació — section of pipe
  • Catalan: canal d'alimentació — section of pipe
  • Dutch: omleiding — section of pipe
  • Finnish: ohitusputki — section of pipe
  • Macedonian: бајпас (bajpas) — section of pipe
  • Russian: байпа́с (bajpás) — section of pipe
  • Bulgarian: шунт (šunt) — electrical shunt
  • Catalan: canal de derivació — electrical shunt
  • Catalan: canal d'alimentació — electrical shunt
  • Dutch: parallelschakeling — electrical shunt
  • Dutch: shunt — electrical shunt
  • Finnish: ohituskytkentä — electrical shunt
  • Hungarian: mellékáramkör — electrical shunt
  • Hungarian: sönt — electrical shunt
  • Macedonian: бајпас (bajpas) — electrical shunt
  • Russian: байпа́с (bajpás) — electrical shunt
  • Russian: шунт (šunt) — electrical shunt
  • Spanish: bypass — electrical shunt
  • Spanish: baipás — electrical shunt
  • Tagalog: lulos — electrical shunt
  • Bulgarian: байпас (bajpas) — alternative passage for a bodily fluid
  • Catalan: bypass — alternative passage for a bodily fluid
  • Chinese Mandarin: 搭橋 /搭桥 (dāqiáo) — alternative passage for a bodily fluid
  • Czech: bypass — alternative passage for a bodily fluid
  • Finnish: ohitus — alternative passage for a bodily fluid
  • Finnish: ohitusleikkaus — alternative passage for a bodily fluid
  • French: pontage — alternative passage for a bodily fluid
  • French: dérivation — alternative passage for a bodily fluid
  • German: Bypass — alternative passage for a bodily fluid
  • Greek: παράκαμψη (parákampsi) — alternative passage for a bodily fluid
  • Greek: αορτοστεφανιαία παράκαμψη (aortostefaniaía parákampsi) — alternative passage for a bodily fluid
  • Irish: seach-chonair — alternative passage for a bodily fluid
  • Japanese: バイパス (baipasu) — alternative passage for a bodily fluid
  • Macedonian: бајпас (bajpas) — alternative passage for a bodily fluid
  • Polish: bajpas — alternative passage for a bodily fluid
  • Portuguese: ponte — alternative passage for a bodily fluid
  • Portuguese: bypass — alternative passage for a bodily fluid
  • Russian: шунтирование (šuntirovanije) — alternative passage for a bodily fluid
  • Russian: байпа́с (bajpás) — alternative passage for a bodily fluid
  • Russian: экстракорпоральное кровообращение (ekstrakorporalʹnoje krovoobraščenije) — alternative passage for a bodily fluid
  • Spanish: baipás — alternative passage for a bodily fluid
  • Spanish: bypass — alternative passage for a bodily fluid
  • Swedish: bypass — alternative passage for a bodily fluid
  • Tagalog: lulos — alternative passage for a bodily fluid
  • Finnish: sivuuttaa — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • Finnish: ohittaa — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • Finnish: väistää — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • French: contourner — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • German: umgehen — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • German: ausweichen — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • Greek: παρακάμπτω (parakámpto) — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • Hebrew: עָקַף — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • Hungarian: elkerül — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • Hungarian: megkerül — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • Hungarian: kikerül — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • Italian: aggirare — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • Italian: evitare — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • Italian: scavalcare — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • Italian: bypassare — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • Japanese: 迂回する (ukai-suru) — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • Māori: tīpoka — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • Māori: hohoni — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • Norwegian Bokmål: omgå — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: omgå — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • Portuguese: contornar — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • Spanish: baipasear — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • Spanish: circunvalar — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • Spanish: bypasear — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • Swedish: kringgå — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • Swedish: omgå — to avoid an obstacle etc, by constructing or using a bypass
  • Bulgarian: заобикалям (zaobikaljam) — to ignore the usual channels or procedures
  • Dutch: omzeilen — to ignore the usual channels or procedures
  • Finnish: sivuuttaa — to ignore the usual channels or procedures
  • Finnish: ohittaa — to ignore the usual channels or procedures
  • Finnish: kiertää — to ignore the usual channels or procedures
  • French: contourner — to ignore the usual channels or procedures
  • French: passer outre — to ignore the usual channels or procedures
  • Greek: παρακάμπτω (parakámpto) — to ignore the usual channels or procedures
  • Hungarian: megkerül — to ignore the usual channels or procedures
  • Hungarian: kikerül — to ignore the usual channels or procedures
  • Hungarian: figyelmen kívül hagy — to ignore the usual channels or procedures
  • Italian: ignorare — to ignore the usual channels or procedures
  • Italian: bypassare — to ignore the usual channels or procedures
  • Māori: tīpoka — to ignore the usual channels or procedures
  • Portuguese: contornar — to ignore the usual channels or procedures
  • Spanish: puentear — to ignore the usual channels or procedures
  • Spanish: baipasear — to ignore the usual channels or procedures
  • Spanish: bypasear — to ignore the usual channels or procedures
  • Swedish: kringgå — to ignore the usual channels or procedures
Real reading context

bypass in complete knowledge articles