bypass
/ˈbaɪ.pɑːs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbaɪ.pæs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbī-ˌpas/ (ame, mw) · /ˈbaɪpɑːs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbaɪpæs/ (ame, ipa)
bypass — verb
1. to take a route that goes around a place, town, or obstacle instead of through i
to take a route that goes around a place, town, or obstacle instead of through it, usually to save time or to keep clear of trouble.
Marcus took the new ring road to bypass the city centre.
bypass + [place] for going around it
The hikers chose a forest trail that bypasses the muddy field near the river.
Heavy trucks bypass our village by using the new motorway built last spring.
Lina drove an extra ten minutes to bypass the road works on Main Street.
- skirt
stresses moving along the edge of a place rather than entering
- circumvent
more formal; can also describe going round an obstacle
- avoid
broader; does not imply taking a route around
文法句型
bypass + [place / obstacle]
用法筆記
Object is usually a place or physical obstacle (a town, a junction, traffic). Distinguish from sense 2, which takes an abstract object such as a rule or person in authority.
常見錯誤
2. to skip a rule, procedure, or person in charge by dealing directly with someone
to skip a rule, procedure, or person in charge by dealing directly with someone else, so that the usual checks do not apply.
The manager bypassed his boss and emailed the proposal straight to the company president.
bypass + [authority] to deal directly with someone higher
Hackers found a way to bypass the bank's security system within minutes.
bypass + [process / safeguard]
The new law lets small farmers bypass several import checks when selling local produce.
Sarah bypassed the official complaint form and called the head office directly.
- circumvent
more formal; common for laws and regulations
- sidestep
often used for awkward questions or rules
- skip
informal; less suggestive of breaking proper order
文法句型
bypass + [rule / authority / process]
用法筆記
Object is usually a rule, safety check, official channel, or a person who normally has authority. Often carries a slightly disapproving tone, suggesting the speaker thinks proper steps were skipped.
常見錯誤
bypass — noun
1. a surgery on the heart in which doctors create a new route for the blood, sendin
a surgery on the heart in which doctors create a new route for the blood, sending it past an artery that has become sick or blocked.
Mr. Owens had a triple bypass last winter and now walks three miles each morning.
collocation: triple / double / quadruple bypass
The surgeon explained that a heart bypass would help blood reach the muscle more easily.
collocation: heart / coronary bypass
Recovery from a bypass usually takes several weeks of rest and gentle exercise.
Dr. Tanaka performs about two hundred bypass operations every year at the city hospital.
文法句型
[heart / triple / coronary] + bypass
用法筆記
Often appears as 'heart bypass', 'coronary bypass', or 'triple bypass'. The number (double, triple, quadruple) tells you how many blocked arteries were treated.
常見錯誤
2. a main road that runs around a town, allowing drivers to skip the busy streets i
a main road that runs around a town, allowing drivers to skip the busy streets in the middle.
The new bypass cut twenty minutes off the morning drive from Oxford to the coast.
Local shops complained that the bypass took customers away from the high street.
the + [town] + bypass: definite article common
Engineers are planning a bypass to keep heavy trucks out of the village square.
We took the bypass instead of driving through Cambridge during rush hour.
文法句型
the [town] + bypass
用法筆記
More common in British English than American English (US speakers often say 'beltway', 'ring road', or 'loop'). Usually refers to a single named road, so 'the bypass' with the definite article is typical.