Both Uses of
passive
in
The Call of the Wild
- All passiveness and unconcern had dropped from them.†
p. 37.1 *passiveness = acceptance of what happens without trying to take control or reacting strongly
- When Thornton's partners, Hans and Pete, arrived on the long-expected raft, Buck refused to notice them till he learned they were close to Thornton; after that he tolerated them in a passive sort of way, accepting favors from them as though he favored them by accepting.†
p. 132.7
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.