bypass
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a road that goes around a town or busy area so you can avoid traffic.
n.a road designed to divert through-traffic away from a town centre or residential area.
Simple“The new bypass has made the journey much faster by avoiding the city centre.”
In context“Local residents campaigned for a bypass to reduce the volume of heavy goods vehicles passing through the historic village square.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
n.a medical operation that creates a new path for blood to flow when an artery is blocked.
n.a surgical procedure to redirect the flow of a bodily fluid, typically blood, around an obstruction in a vessel or organ.
Simple“He is recovering well in the hospital after his heart bypass surgery.”
In context“The patient underwent a triple bypass to restore adequate blood flow to the cardiac muscle after several arteries were found to be severely narrowed.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to go around something instead of going through it.
v.to avoid an obstacle or a specific area by taking an alternative route.
Simple“We decided to bypass the heavy traffic by taking the back roads.”
In context“The proposed pipeline will bypass the protected wetlands to minimise the environmental impact on local wildlife habitats.”
Synonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
v.to ignore the usual rules or people in charge to get something done faster.
v.to circumvent established channels, hierarchies, or procedures.
Simple“She bypassed her manager and spoke directly to the owner of the company.”
In context“The department was accused of bypassing standard safety protocols in an attempt to meet the aggressive production deadline.”
“Bypassing the alarm systems, the gang broke into a security display box and stole four wood panels painted by Antonello, who is widely credited with changing the course of Renaissance art .”
“However, witnesses told Reuters that some migrants from sub-Saharan Africa were bypassing security checkpoints by taking mountain routes towards Fnideq.”
From Middle English bypassen, bipassen (suggested by past participle by-past, bipast), equivalent to by- + pass.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.