‖ passe-
repr. F. passe, vb.-stem, orig. imp. of vb. passer to pass; used in a few words more or less naturalized from Fr., chiefly in 16th and 17th centuries, as passe-parole, passe-partout n., etc. Not a living prefix in English: cf. pass- in comb. ‖ passe-pierre: Parsley-piert. ‖ passe-pomme [obs. F., 1544, Godef.], name of a rich table-apple. Passe Colmar, a variety of pear; ? = colmar 1.
| 1664 Evelyn Kal. Hort. (1729) 232/1 Fruit Trees..for a moderate Plantation. Apples..Passe-pome, Pome Apis, Cour pendue [etc.]. 1706 Phillips, Passe-pierre, or Pierce-pierre, a sort of Stone-Parsley, an Herb. 1837 Amer. Q. Rev. XXI. 377 We could speak of others just coming into notice, such as the passe colmar. 1860 R. Hogg Fruit Manual 204 Passe Colmar... An excellent pear. Ripe during November and December. 1882 Garden 14 Jan. 18/1 The most useful of all Pears which we have is Passe Colmar. 1928 H. B. Tukey Pear x. 108 Passe Colmar..and other winter sorts sometimes shrivel and rot before reaching an edible condition. |