Dictionary

passthought en · NOUN

Etymology

From pass + thought, after the pattern of password.

Meanings

1. A thought used to gain admittance or access to something.
   • You step outside, locking your door and activating your home security system merely by visualising an image - it could be the colour of your lover's eyes, an oak leaf, or the hamster you had when you were six - in a biometric passthought keyed to your unique brainwave pattern. 2008, Nick Sagan, Mark Frary, & Andy Walker, Future Proof: The Greatest Gadgets and Gizmos Ever Imagined, Thriplow, →ISBN, page 6:
   • “It seems Zambini is locked into a spell with a passthought on auto-evolve; it changes randomly every two minutes. One moment it's all about swans on a lake at sunset, the next, spoonbills in the Orinoco delta. […] 2011, Jasper Fforde, The Song of the Quarkbeast, Harcourt, →ISBN, page 212:
   • He said passthoughts have a number of advantages over traditional passwords, including resistance to shoulder surfing attacks (where someone looks over your shoulder to watch you type) and smudge attacks (where someone can determine your passcode by observing the smudge patterns on your device’s touchscreen). 2013 April 29, David Jenkins, “Forgotten your password? Don’t worry, soon you’ll be using passthoughts”, in Metro, UK:

Forms