Definition of the word pass as

The phrase "pass as" has its roots in Old English, specifically in the preposition "on," which meant "in" or "upon." Over time, this preposition developed a variety of uses, including the meaning "to resemble" or "to seem like." In Middle English, this usage can be seen in phrases like "stonde on" or "wryte on," where it meant "to resemble" or "to seem like." By the 15th century, the preposition "as" had begun to replace "on" in this context, resulting in phrases like "passe as" or "resemble as." The exact origin of the word "pass" in this phrase is less clear. It likely comes from Old French "passer," which meant "to step over" or "to go by," and evolved to mean "to appear" or "to seem" in Middle English. So the expression "pass as" in modern English can be traced back to the Old English preposition "on" and its Middle English iteration, which formed the basis for a range of phrases that conveyed meanings of resemblance, similarity, and imitation.