I. march 1 W2 /mɑːtʃ $ mɑːrtʃ/ BrE AmE verb
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: marchier 'to step heavily' ]
1 . [intransitive] if soldiers or other people march somewhere, they walk there quickly with firm regular steps
march across/along/past etc
On 29 August the royal army marched into Inverness.
We marched 50 km across the foothills.
march on
He gathered his troops and prepared to march on the capital (=march to the capital in order to attack it) .
Quick march! (=an order to tell people to start marching)
2 . [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] if a large group of people march somewhere, they walk there together to express their ideas or protest about something:
An estimated 5,000 people marched through the city to demonstrate against the factory closures.
march on
Outraged citizens marched on City Hall (=marched to City Hall) , demanding the police chief’s resignation.
3 . [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to walk somewhere quickly and with determination, often because you are angry
march off/out etc
Brett marched out of the office, slamming the door behind him.
4 . [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to force someone to walk somewhere with you, often pushing or pulling them roughly
march somebody to/into etc something
Mr Carter marched us to the principal’s office.
5 . be given/get your marching orders British English informal to be ordered to leave, especially because someone no longer wants you to work for them or no longer wants a relationship with you
6 . time marches on used to say that as time goes by, situations change and things do not remain the same
II. march 2 W3 BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . an organized event in which many people walk together to express their ideas or protest about something:
The police decided not to ban the march.
protest/civil rights/peace etc march
I went on a lot of peace marches when I was a student.
2 . when soldiers walk with firm regular steps from one place to another:
The general led his forces on a long march southwards.
3 . on the march
a) an army that is on the march is marching somewhere
b) a belief, idea etc that is on the march is becoming stronger and more popular:
Fascism is on the march again in some parts of Europe.
4 . a day’s march/two weeks’ march etc the distance a group of soldiers can march in a particular period of time:
Lake Van was still three days’ march away.
5 . the march of time/history/progress etc formal the way that things happen or change over time and cannot be stopped:
You can’t control the march of science.
She was desperate to halt the march of time upon her face and figure.
6 . a piece of music for people to march to:
military marches
a funeral march
7 . marches [plural] the area around the border between England and Wales or between England and Scotland
⇨ steal a march on at ↑ steal 1 (8)
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THESAURUS
▪ walk noun [countable] a journey that you make on foot, especially for exercise or enjoyment:
I took the dog out for a long walk in the fresh air.
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We went for some lovely walks.
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Do you fancy going out for a walk?
▪ hike noun [countable] a long walk in the mountains or countryside:
We went for a hike in the woods.
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There are some good hikes nearby.
▪ stroll noun [singular] a slow, relaxed walk:
Let’s take a stroll in the park.
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We went for a stroll along the river.
▪ wander British English a short relaxed walk, especially to look around a place:
We had a wander round the town and then went to the beach.
▪ trek noun [singular] used when talking about a long walk in the mountains, countryside etc which lasts for several days and which you do for pleasure. Also used about a long tiring walk somewhere, which you do not want to have to do :
They went on a three week trek in the Atlas Mountains.
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We then had a long trek back to our hotel with all our luggage.
▪ slog [singular] a long, tiring, and unpleasant walk, which continues for several hours:
It was a dreary slog over bleak and windswept hills.
▪ march noun [countable] an occasion when a group of people walk somewhere together, in order to protest about something:
Demonstrators are planning a march through the capital.
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a peace march