What does "passing" mean?

Passing: Relating to the act of passing or going; going by, beyond, through, or away; departing.

Additional senses

  1. 2.Exceeding; surpassing, eminent. Chaucer. "Her passing deformity." Shak. Passing note (Mus.), a character including a passing tone. -- Passing tone (Mus.), a tone introduced between two other tones, on an unaccented portion of a measure, for the sake of smoother melody, but forming no essential part of the harmony.
  2. 3.Exceedingly; excessively; surpassingly; as, passing fair; passing strange. "You apprehend passing shrewdly." Shak.

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