En passant is a special capture of a pawn that has just passed by. Capture en passant, an en passant capture, take it en passant.
It exists because pawns were given a two-square first move, and this rule stops one slipping past a waiting enemy pawn. It must be taken immediately or the right is lost, which is why it is the most forgotten rule in chess.
1nounen passantA special capture of a pawn that has just passed by.
“He captured my pawn en passant, a move I didn't even know was allowed.”
en passant is a move.
French en passant means in passing, from passer, to pass, from Latin passus, a step.
French
en passant
English, today
en passant
An French en passant.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA
Practised in Chess & Card Games