Approach v.

Forms: 4 aprochi, 4–6 aproch(e, 5–7 approch(e, 7– approach. [a. OFr. aprochie-r (mod. approcher), cogn. w. OIt. approcciāre, Pr. apropchar, early Rom. *adpropjāre:—late L. adpropi-āre (Vulgate), f. ad to + propi-āre to draw near, f. propi-us (Pr. propi, Fr. proche, for propche, propj) nigher, near, compar. of prope nigh. For app-, see AP- pref.¹ About 1600 the phonetic oa was introduced for ō.]

  1.  intr. To come nearer (relatively), or draw near (absolutely), in space. a. simply.

c. 1374.  Chaucer, Boeth., I. I. 6. Sche sauȝ þese poetical muses aprochen aboute my bedde.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, IV. 1276. Þan pollux aprochet in hast.

1557.  Phaër, Æneid, VI. Q iv. Whom the Troyan duke had found, Approching nere.

1605.  Shaks., Lear, II. ii. 170. Approach, thou Beacon to this vnder Globe, That by thy comfortable Beames I may Peruse this Letter.

1627.  Speed, Eng. Abridged, xxx. § 8. A Spittle for Lazers, a disease then newly approched in this Land.

1795.  Southey, Joan of Arc, I. 20. At his bidding Claude Approach’d.

1863.  Mrs. Oliphant, Salem Chapel, xvii. 301. A footstep outside approaching softly.

  b.  with to. arch.

c. 1325.  E. E. Allit. P., B. 1781. To þe palays pryncipal þay aproched.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Man of Lawes T., 805. Hire ship approched to the londe.

1587.  Turberv., Trag. T. (1837), 152. The cruell wightes … Approched to the doore.

1611.  Bible, 2 Sam. xi. 20. Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city?

1860.  Tyndall, Glaciers, I. § 17. Masses sufficiently large approached near to the shore.

  2.  trans. To come near to.

c. 1305.  St. Lucy, 118, in E. E. P. (1862), 104. Þat a þousend men scholde in mi side falle … and me aprochi noȝt.

1393.  Gower, Conf., I. 282. I approche … The place, where my lady is.

1605.  Shaks., Macb., II. iii. 76. Approch the Chamber.

1847.  Yeowell, Anc. Brit. Ch., iii. 28. When he came to Rome … he evidently approached it from the East.

  b.  fig. with reference to a place in the field of conception. intr. and trans.

a. 1577.  Gascoigne, Str. Passion (R.).

1777.  Priestley, Matt. & Spir., xx. (1782), I. 254. As we approach nearer the age of the schoolmen.

1867.  Macfarren, Harmony, ii. 35. And so approach the fundamental … harmonic school by the path of history.

  3.  trans. Said of lines or things in a line: To be so situated in space that the parts lie successively nearer to a given point or line (which a body moving along the line in question would therefore approach, in sense 2). rarely intr.

1598.  Florio, Approssimare, to approch, to neighbour.

1712.  Addison, Spect., No. 477, ¶ 1. Trees rising one higher than another in proportion as they approach the centre.

1748.  Hartley, Observ. Man, I. i. § 1 ¶ 7. The Ventricles of the Brain approach towards each other.

1751.  Chambers, Cycl., Asymptote, a line which continually approaches nearer and nearer to another, yet will never meet therewith, tho’ indefinitely prolonged.

Mod.  At this point the boundary approaches, but does not quite reach the river.

  4.  To come near to a person: i.e., into personal relations; into his presence or audience; or fig. within the range of his notice or attention. a. intr. with to. arch.

c. 1325.  E. E. Allit. P., B. 7. Renkeȝ of relygioun þat … aprochen to hys presens.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, XIX. 7998. He approchet to þe prinse.

1611.  Bible, Isa. lviii. 2. They take delight in approching to God.

1794.  Mathias, Pursuits Lit. (1798), 381. To the Peers approach with awe.

  b.  trans.

c. 1325.  E. E. Allit. P., B. 147. So prest to aproche my presens.

1393.  Gower, Conf., III. 288. He … goth to approche The kinges court and his presence.

1597.  Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., V. v. 65. When thou dost heare I am, as I haue bin, Approach me.

1711.  Steele, Spect., No. 118, ¶ 1. I cannot approach her without Awe.

1821.  Scott, Kenilw., xvii. The Earl was approached … by a person quaintly dressed.

  5.  euphem. Of sexual relations. (intr. and trans.)

1611.  Bible, Lev. xviii. 6. None of you shall approche to any that is neere of kinne to him.

1798.  Colebrooke, Digest Hind. Law (1801), III. 196. If either brother … approach the wife, he is degraded.

  † 6.  To embrace or take up with (a habit). Obs.

1574.  Hellowes, Gueuara’s Epist. (1577), 15. Shunne euil, and approch to do wel.

  7.  intr. Of time or events: To draw nigh.

c. 1374.  Chaucer, Troylus, V. 1. Aprochen gan the fatel destyne.

1393.  Langl., P. Pl., C. XVIII. 209. Þe tyme aprocheþ faste.

1599.  Thynne, Animadv., 51. When deathe approched.

1697.  Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 195. When now the Nuptial time Approaches.

1728.  Gay, Beggar’s Op., II. ii. 26 (J.).

  8.  To come near in quality, character or state; to be nearly equal. a. intr. with to.

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, II. 401. No filisofers … Might approche to þat precious apoint of her wit.

1538.  Starkey, England, 21. Man so dowyng neryst approchyth to the nature of God.

1756.  Burke, Vind. Nat. Soc., Wks. I. 36. We judge … of them as they approach to, or recede from this standard.

1871.  B. Stewart, Heat, § 66. The coefficients of dilation … approach more nearly to equality.

  b.  trans.

a. 1698.  Temple, Wks. (1814), III. 494 (J.). He [Empedocles] was an admirable poet, and thought even to have approached Homer, in a poem he writ of natural philosophy.

1824.  Dibdin, Libr. Comp., 187. That copy … more decidedly approached such a form.

1872.  Freeman, Norm. Conq., IV. xviii. 143. Vigorous youths fast approaching manhood.

  9.  Mil. To make ‘approaches’ to; to work forward towards, by means of entrenchments. See APPROACH sb. 9.

1598.  Barret, Theor. Warres, V. i. 127. To aproach neare vnto the walles, with trenches, or such like aprochings.

a. 1674.  Clarendon, Hist. Reb. (1703), II. VII. 228. The ground was very easy to Approach, and as inconvenient, and dangerous to Storm.

1861.  Sheppard, Fall of Rome, vi. 339. The town … had to be approached in regular form.

  10.  causal. To bring near locally, to move or draw nearer; approximate. (Common in mod.Fr.) arch.

1541.  R. Copland, Galyen’s Terap., 2 D j. Yf thou assay to approche them [the lips of an ulcer] by force.

1665.  Boyle, Occas. Refl., I. vi. 87. All those changes … shall serve to approach him the faster to the blest mansion.

1795.  T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), IV. 114. I … should have been tempted to approach myself to it.

1821.  Scott, Kenilw., x. (1853), 107. So saying, he approached to the fire a three-footed stool.

  11.  fig. To bring near in character, quality, rank.

a. 1649.  Drumm. of Hawth., Wks., 1711, 236. In matter, none approach him [Petrarch] to Sidney.

1850.  Merivale, Rom. Emp. (1865), II. xiii. 103. His object was … to approach the Gaulish provincials to Rome.

1863.  Ld. Lytton, Ring of Amasis, I. 148. Forced these images into the foreground of Fancy, thus approaching them nearer to reality.