passe-partout
noun
passe-par·tout
ˌpas-pər-ˈtü 
-ˌpär-
1
: master key
opened the door with a passe-partout
2
a
b
: a method of framing in which a picture, a mat, a glass, and a back (as of cardboard) are held together by strips of paper or cloth pasted over the edges
a picture framed in passe-partout
3
: a strong paper gummed on one side and used especially for mounting pictures
Examples of passe-partout in a Sentence
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Enlarge / Black stains on the passe-partout of the Folio 843 of Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Atlanticus.
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Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 2 May 2023
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Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 2 May 2023
Cite this Entry
“Passe-partout.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/passe-partout. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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