Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - past

 I. adjective  Etymology: Middle English, from ~ participle of passen to pass  Date: 14th century  1.  a. ago 12 years ~  b. just gone or elapsed for the ~ few months  2. having existed or taken place in a period before the present ; bygone  3. of, relating to, or constituting a verb tense that is expressive of elapsed time and that in English is usually formed by internal vowel change (as in sang) or by the addition of a suffix (as in laughed)  4. having served as a specified officer in an organization ~ president  II. preposition  Date: 14th century  1.  a. beyond the age for or of ~ playing with dolls  b. after half ~ two  2.  a. at the farther side of ; beyond  b. in a course or direction going close to and then beyond drove ~ the house  3. obsolete more than  4. beyond the capacity, range, or sphere of ~ belief  III. noun  Date: 1520  1.  a. time gone by  b. something that happened or was done in the ~ regret the ~  2.  a. the ~ tense of a language  b. a verb form in the ~ tense  3. a ~ life, history, or course of action; especially one that is kept secret  • ~less adjective  IV. adverb  Date: 1546 so as to reach and go beyond a point near at hand drove ~