Approach

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: ap=proach

CIDE DICTIONARY

Approach, v. i. [OE. approchen, aprochen, OF. approcher, LL. appropriare, fr. L. ad + propiare to draw near, prope near.].

•  To come or go near, in place or time; to draw nigh; to advance nearer.  [1913 Webster]

  "Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city?"  [1913 Webster]

  "But exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."  [1913 Webster]
•  To draw near, in a figurative sense; to make advances; to approximate; as, he approaches to the character of the ablest statesman.  [1913 Webster]

Approach, v. t. 

•  To bring near; to cause to draw near; to advance.  Boyle.  [1913 Webster]
•  To come near to in place, time, or character; to draw nearer to; as, to approach the city; to approach my cabin; he approached the age of manhood.  [1913 Webster]

  "He was an admirable poet, and thought even to have approached Homer."  [1913 Webster]
•  To take approaches to.  [1913 Webster]

Approach, n. [Cf. F. approche. See Approach, v. i.].

•  The act of drawing near; a coming or advancing near.  Horsley.  [1913 Webster]

  "A nearer approach to the human type."  [1913 Webster]
•  A access, or opportunity of drawing near.  [1913 Webster]

  "The approach to kings and principal persons."  [1913 Webster]
•  Movements to gain favor; advances.  [1913 Webster]
•  A way, passage, or avenue by which a place or buildings can be approached; an access.  Macaulay.  [1913 Webster]
•  The advanced works, trenches, or covered roads made by besiegers in their advances toward a fortress or military post.  [1913 Webster]
•  See Approaching.  [1913 Webster]
•  A stroke whose object is to land the ball on the putting green. It is made with an iron club.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
•  that part of a flight during which an airplane descends toward the landing strip.  [PJC]
•  the steps taken by a bowler just before delivering the ball toward the pins.  [PJC.]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Approach, v. & n.
--v.
1 tr. come near or nearer to (a place or time).
2 intr. come near or nearer in space or time (the hour approaches).
3 tr. make a tentative proposal or suggestion to (approached me about a loan).
4 tr. a be similar in character, quality, etc., to (doesn't approach her for artistic skill). b approximate to (a population approaching 5 million).
5 tr. attempt to influence or bribe.
6 tr. set about (a task etc.).
7 intr. Golf play an approach shot.
8 intr. Aeron. prepare to land.
9 tr. archaic bring near.
--n.
1 an act or means of approaching (made an approach; an approach lined with trees).
2 an approximation (an approach to an apology).
3 a way of dealing with a person or thing (needs a new approach).
4 (usu. in pl.) a sexual advance.
5 Golf a stroke from the fairway to the green.
6 Aeron. the final part of a flight before landing.
7 Bridge a bidding method with a gradual advance to a final contract.

Idiom

approach road Brit. a road by which traffic enters a motorway.

Etymology

ME f. OF aproch(i)er f. eccl.L appropiare draw near (as AD-, propius compar. of prope near)

THESAURUS

Approach

MO, access, accomplish, accomplishment, accordance, accost, achieve, achievement, act on, address, adit, advance, advances, advent, advise, agreement, air lock, algorithm, alikeness, alliance, analogy, answer, anticipate, ape, aping, apostrophize, appeal to, appear, appear like, appearance, apply to, approaches, appropinquate, approximate, approximation, arise, arrangement, arrival, arrive, arrive at, arrive in, asking price, assay, assimilation, asymptote, attack, attain, attain to, attainment, attempt, attitude, await, be around, be destined, be fated, be imminent, be in store, be like, be near, be received, be redolent of, be to be, be to come, bear down on, bear down upon, bear resemblance, bear up, bear upon, beg, begin to, beseech, bespeak, bid, blind landing, blow in, blueprint, blueprinting, bob up, bottleneck, break the ice, brew, bribe, bring to mind, buttonhole, buy, buy off, calculation, call, call to, call to mind, call up, center, centralize, chance, charting, check in, clock in, close, close in, close up, close with, closeness, collision course, come, come along, come close, come closer, come forth, come forward, come in, come into being, come into existence, come near, come on, come to, come to hand, come together, come up, coming, coming in, communicate with, community, comparability, compare with, comparison, concenter, concentralization, concentralize, concentrate, concentration, conception, concourse, concurrence, confer, confines, confluence, conflux, conformity, confront, congress, consult, contact, contrivance, converge, convergence, converging, copy, copying, correspond, correspond to, correspondence, corridor, corrupt, counsel, counterfeit, course, court, crack, crop up, crossing, cultivate, design, device, disposition, draw, draw near, draw nigh, draw on, effort, encounter, endeavor, engage, enterprise, entrance, entranceway, entreat, entry, entryway, environs, envisagement, equal, essay, establish connection, evoke, exert influence, expect, experiment, face, fall in with, fashion, favor, feeler, fetch, fetch up at, figuring, find, fix, fling, focalization, focus, follow, foreground, foresee, foresight, foretell, forethought, form, forthcome, forthcoming, funnel, futurity, gain, gain upon, gambit, game, gangplank, gangway, gather, get at, get cozy with, get in, get there, get to, get warm, go, graphing, grease, grease the palm, greet, ground plan, guidelines, guise, hail, hall, halloo, hang over, hit, hit town, hope, hover, hub, idea, identity, imitate, imitation, immediacy, immediate foreground, immediate future, imminence, impend, impendence, impendency, implore, importune, in, ingress, inlet, intake, intention, interrogate, intersect, invitation, invoke, landing, layout, lead on, lick, lie ahead, lie over, lift a finger, likeness, likening, line, line of action, lines, lineup, lobby, lobby through, long-range plan, look for, look forward to, look like, loom, lower, magnetize, maintain connection, make, make a pass, make advances, make an attempt, make an effort, make an overture, make contact with, make it, make overtures, make up to, manner, manner of working, mapping, master plan, match, materialize, means, means of access, meet, meeting, memorialize, menace, metaphor, method, methodology, mimic, mimicking, mirror, mode, mode of operation, mode of procedure, modus operandi, move, movement, mutual approach, narrow the gap, narrowing gap, near, near future, nearly reproduce, nearness, negotiate, neighborhood, nigh, nighness, nip, not tell apart, offer, offering, opening, operations research, order, organization, overhang, overture, overtures, parallel, parallelism, parity, parley, partake of, passage, passageway, path, pay addresses to, pay court to, pay off, pinch, plan, planning, planning function, play up to, plead, plot, pop up, practice, prearrangement, precinct, predict, preliminary approach, present itself, presentation, procedure, proceeding, process, proffer, program, program of action, project, prophesy, propinquity, proposals, propose to, proposition, propositions, proximate, proximity, pull in, pull strings, punch in, purchase, purlieus, question, radius, raise, rationalization, reach, reaching, relate to, remind one of, reply to, resemblance, resemble, respond to, ring in, rival, roll in, routine, run after, run together, salute, sameness, savor of, schedule, schema, schematism, schematization, scheme, scheme of arrangement, seem like, semblance, setup, shine up to, shot, show up, sidle up to, sign in, similarity, simile, similitude, simulate, simulation, smack of, solicit, sound like, sound out, speak, speak fair, speak to, spokes, spring up, stab, stack up, stack up with, step, step up, strategic plan, strategy, stroke, strong bid, style, submission, suborn, suggest, supplicate, system, systematization, tack, tactical plan, tactics, take after, take aside, take care of, talk to, tamper with, tangent, taper, technique, tentative, tentative approach, the big picture, the drill, the how, the picture, the way of, threaten, throw a pass, tickle the palm, time in, tone, touch, touchdown, trench, trial, trial and error, try, turn up, undertake, undertaking, unite, venture, venture on, venture upon, verge, vestibule, vicinage, vicinity, way, way in, whack, wire-pull, wise, work on, working plan

ROGET THESAURUS

Approach

Method

N method, way, manner, wise, gait, form, mode, fashion, tone, guise, modus operandi, MO, procedure, path, road, route, course, line of way, line of road, trajectory, orbit, track, beat, tack, steps, stair, staircase, flight of stairs, ladder, stile, perron, bridge, footbridge, viaduct, pontoon, steppingstone, plank, gangway, drawbridge, pass, ford, ferry, tunnel, pipe, door, gateway, channel, passage, avenue, means of access, approach, adit, artery, lane, loan, alley, aisle, lobby, corridor, back-door, back-stairs, secret passage, covert way, vennel, roadway, pathway, stairway, express, thoroughfare, highway, turnpike, freeway, royal road, coach road, broad highway, King's highway, Queen's highway, beaten track, beaten path, horse road, bridle road, bridle track, bridle path, walk, trottoir, footpath, pavement, flags, sidewalk, crossroad, byroad, bypath, byway, cut, short cut carrefour, private road, occupation road, highways and byways, railroad, railway, tram road, tramway, towpath, causeway, canal, street, speedway, adv, how, in what way, in what manner, by what mode, so, in this way, after this fashion, one way or another, anyhow, somehow or other, by way of, via, in transitu, on the high road to, hae tibi erunt artes.

Futurity

VB look forwards, anticipate, forestall, come on, draw on, draw near, approach, await, threaten, impend.

Destiny

VB impend, hang over, lie over, threaten, loom, await, come on, approach, stare one in the face, foreordain, preordain, predestine, doom, have in store for.

Nearness

N nearness, proximity, propinquity, vicinity, vicinage, neighborhood, adjacency, contiguity, short distance, short step, short cut, earshot, close quarters, stone's throw, bow shot, gun shot, pistol shot, hair's breadth, span, purlieus, neighborhood, vicinage, environs, alentours, suburbs, confines, banlieue, borderland, whereabouts, bystander, neighbor, borderer, approach, convergence, perihelion, near, nigh, close at hand, near at hand, close, neighboring, bordering upon, contiguous, adjacent, adjoining, proximate, proximal, at hand, handy, near the mark, near run, home, intimate, near, nigh, hard by, fast by, close to, close upon, hard upon, at the point of, next door to, within reach, within call, within hearing, within earshot, within an ace of, but a step, not far from, at no great distance, on the verge of, on the brink of, on the skirts of, in the environs, at one's door, at one's feet, at one's elbow, at one's finger's end, at one's side, on the tip of one's tongue, under one's nose, within a stone's throw, in sight of, in presence of, at close quarters, cheek by jole, cheek by jowl, beside, alongside, side by side, tete-a-tete, in juxtaposition, yardarm to yardarm, at the heels of, on the confines of, at the threshold, bordering upon, verging to, in the way, about, hereabouts, thereabouts, roughly, in round numbers, approximately, approximatively, as good as, well-nigh.

Approach

N approach, approximation, appropinquation, access, appulse, afflux, affluxion, advent, pursuit, approaching, approximative, affluent, impending, imminent, on the road, Int, come hither!, approach!, here!, come!, come near!, forward!.

VB approach, approximate, appropinquate, near, get near, go near, draw near, come to close quarters, come near, move towards, set in towards, drift, make up to, gain upon, pursue, tread on the heels of, bear up, make the land, hug the shore, hug the land.