Mid 16th century; earliest use found in Nicholas Udall (1504–1556), schoolmaster and playwright. From Middle French, French passetemps from passe- + temps time.
Definition of passe-temps in US English:
passe-temps
nounˌpasˈtɒ̃
rare
Pastime.
Origin
Mid 16th century; earliest use found in Nicholas Udall (1504–1556), schoolmaster and playwright. From Middle French, French passetemps from passe- + temps time.