Added 8 October 2026
approach
/əˈpɹəʊt͡ʃ/ verb
In Latin: adeō, subeō, adbītō Wiktionary
verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about approach at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
To come or go near, in place or time; to move toward; to advance nearer; to draw nigh.
She approached the door cautiously.
- To play an approach shot.
-
Used intransitively, followed by to: to draw near (to someone or something); to make advances; to approximate or become almost equal.
He approaches to the character of the ablest statesman.
noun
- An act of drawing near in place or time; an advancing or coming near.
- An act of coming near in character or value; an approximation.
- An avenue, passage, or way by which a building or place can be approached; an access. A path taken to reach the climbing area, for example, from a car park, road, etc.
Origin
From Middle English aprochen, borrowed from Old French aprochier (modern French approcher), from Late Latin appropiāre, a verb based on Latin prope (“near”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pro- (a variant of *per- (“before, in front; first”)) + *-kʷe (“suffix forming distributives from interrogatives”)).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)