[ap.proach] vb [ME approchen, fr. OF aprochier, fr. LL appropiare, fr. L ad- + prope near; akin to L pro before--more at for] vt (13c) 1 a: to draw closer to: near "~ the podium" b: to come very near to: be almost the same as "its mathematics ~es mysticism --Theodore Sturgeon" "as the quantity x ~es zero"
2. a: to make advances to esp. in order to create a desired result "was ~ed by several Broadway producers" b: to take preliminary steps toward accomplishment or full knowledge or experience of "~ the subject with an open mind" ~ vi 1: to draw nearer "dawn ~es"
2: to make an approach in golf
[2]approach n (15c) 1 a: an act or instance of approaching "the ~ of summer" b: approximation "in this book he makes his closest ~ to greatness"
2. a: the taking of preliminary steps toward a particular purpose "experimenting with new lines of ~" b: a particular manner of taking such steps "a highly individual ~ to language"
3: a means of access: avenue
4. a: a golf shot from the fairway toward the green b: the steps taken by a bowler before he delivers the ball; also: the part of the alley behind the foul line from which the bowler delivers the ball
5: the descent of an aircraft toward a landing place