passe-partout

noun

passe-par·​tout ˌpas-pər-ˈtü 

-ˌpär-

1

: master key

opened the door with a passe-partout

2

a

: mat entry 5

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Enlarge / Black stains on the passe-partout of the Folio 843 of Leonardo da Vinci's Codex Atlanticus. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 2 May 2023

Word History

Etymology

French, from passe partout pass everywhere

First Known Use

1675, in the meaning defined at sense 1