bypass
n. · v.-
1 a road (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatea road that goes around a town or busy area so you can avoid traffic.
a road designed to divert through-traffic away from a town centre or residential area.
ExampleThe new bypass has made the journey much faster by avoiding the city centre.
ExampleLocal residents campaigned for a bypass to reduce the volume of heavy goods vehicles passing through the historic village square.
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2 medical surgery (n.) C1 Advanced Technical Medicinea medical operation that creates a new path for blood to flow when an artery is blocked.
a surgical procedure to redirect the flow of a bodily fluid, typically blood, around an obstruction in a vessel or organ.
ExampleHe is recovering well in the hospital after his heart bypass surgery.
ExampleThe patient underwent a triple bypass to restore adequate blood flow to the cardiac muscle after several arteries were found to be severely narrowed.
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3 to go around (v.) B2 Upper Intermediateto go around something instead of going through it.
to avoid an obstacle or a specific area by taking an alternative route.
ExampleWe decided to bypass the heavy traffic by taking the back roads.
ExampleThe proposed pipeline will bypass the protected wetlands to minimise the environmental impact on local wildlife habitats.
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4 to skip a process (v.) C1 Advanced Formalto ignore the usual rules or people in charge to get something done faster.
to circumvent established channels, hierarchies, or procedures.
ExampleShe bypassed her manager and spoke directly to the owner of the company.
ExampleThe department was accused of bypassing standard safety protocols in an attempt to meet the aggressive production deadline.
From Middle English bypassen, bipassen (suggested by past participle by-past, bipast), equivalent to by- + pass.