The Only Use of
passive
in
The Grapes of Wrath
- THE CONCRETE HIGHWAY was edged with a mat of tangled, broken, dry grass, and the grass heads were heavy with oat beards to catch on a dog's coat, and foxtails to tangle in a horse's fetlocks, and clover burrs to fasten in sheep's wool; sleeping life waiting to be spread and dispersed, every seed armed with an appliance of dispersal, twisting darts and parachutes for the wind, little spears and balls of tiny thorns, and all waiting for animals and for the wind, for a man's trouser cuff or the hem of a woman's skirt, all passive but armed with appliances of activity, still, but each possessed of the anlage of movement.†
Chpt 3
Definitions:
-
(1)
(passive) accepting what happens without trying to take control or reacting strongly
-
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
More specialized and less common senses of the word are found in grammar, chemistry, physics, electronics, and communications. Consult a comprehensive dictionary if you wish to see those. All senses have to do with inactivity.