approach, approche

[From the verb. In Fr. approche.] A. Ordinary Language: L The act of drawing near in place or in other ways. "The Pastor learn'd that his approach had given A welcome interruption to discourse." Words worth: Excursion, bk. v. a nearer approach to the human type. " Owen: Cla if. of the Mammal i a, p. 85. II. The state of being brought near in place, in time, or in other ways. "Poets sang with emulous fervour the approach of the golden age."-Macaulay: Hist . Eng ., ch. iii. III. That by which one draws near; means or liberty of drawing near. 1. Lit. A road, a street, an avenue, or other way by means of which one can draw near to a place. "We should greatly err if we imagined that the road by which he entered that city [Cork) bore any resemblance to the stately approach which strikes the traveller of the nineteenth century with admiration. -Macaulay: Hist . Eng ., ch. xii. [See also B. 1, Fortif . ] 2. Fig .: Liberty of drawing near; acce . "Honour hath in it the vantage-ground to do good; the approach to kings and principal persons, and the raising of a man's own fortunes."- Bacon . B. Technically : 1. Fortification ( Plur .): (a) Gen. The works thrown up by an army for its protection while it is moving forward to attack a fort or other military post. Among these are the first, second, and third parallels, epaulements, with and without trenches, redoubts, places of arms, saps, galleries, and lodgments. (James: Military Dict ., 4th ed., 1816.) A signification analogous to this has found its way into poetry. Sextus Pompeius Makes his approaches to the port of Rome." Shakesp.: Anony and Cleopatra , 1. 8. "Against beleagur'd heav'n the giants move: Hills pil'd on hills, on mountains mountains lie, To make their mad approaches to the sky." Dryden. Counter approaches are trenches carried on by the besieged against those of the besiegers. ( James .) (b) Spec.: Attacks. (James.) so soon we shall drive back Shakesp.: Timon of Athens, v. 1. Of Alcibiades the approaches wild." 2. Geom. Curve of equal approach : A curve of such a form that a body descending it, under the impulse of gravity, makes equal approaches in equal times to the surface of the ground. 3. Algebra . Method of approach . [See PPROXIMATION, Β.] 4. Gardening. [APPROACHING.]