How to Memorize

pass me down the coffee, pass down a wedding ring

Analysis

 To pass down something can mean to move something from a higher level to a lower one or to hand something to someone else. To pass something down can mean to give something from a higher position to someone in a lower position. You can pass down knowledge or skills by teaching them to someone younger, such as your children. To pass something down can mean to give something to the next person, and so on. To pass down something can mean to give something to another person, particularly a younger brother or sister or another relative. Older children often pass on their clothes to their younger siblings, for example. To pass something down can mean the same as to pass on something, so when someone dies and leaves an object in your care you can say they passed it down to you. To pass down something can also mean to send something down a  line or chain of people where each person hands it to the next one.

Social Examples (Advance)

1. My mother passed down her old car to me when she bought a new one.

2. As a short person, I always have to ask taller people to pass down items from high shelves when I'm shopping.

Professional Examples (Advance)

1. Everyone in the office had to follow the new staff protocols passed down to us from upper management.

2. This is a family business where the knowledge of how to run a business has been passed down through the generations.