1. v. & n.
--v.
1. intr. (usu. foll. by away, off, out, etc.) walk in a military manner with a regular measured tread.
2 tr. (often foll. by away, on, off, etc.) cause to march or walk (marched the army to Moscow; marched him out of the room).
3 intr. a walk or proceed steadily, esp. across country. b (of events etc.) continue unrelentingly (time marches on).
4 intr. take part in a protest march.
--n.
1. a the act or an instance of marching. b the uniform step of troops etc. (a slow march).
2 a long difficult walk.
3 a procession as a protest or demonstration.
4 (usu. foll. by of) progress or continuity (the march of events).
5 a a piece of music composed to accompany a march. b a composition of similar character and form.
Phrases and idioms:
marching order Mil. equipment or a formation for marching. marching orders
1. Mil. the direction for troops to depart for war etc.
2 a dismissal (gave him his marching orders).
march on
1. advance towards (a military objective).
2 proceed. march past n. the marching of troops past a saluting-point at a review.
--v.intr. (of troops) carry out a march past. on the march
1. marching.
2 in steady progress.
Derivatives:
marcher n.
Etymology: F marche (n.), marcher (v.), f. LL marcus hammer 2. n. & v.
--n. hist.
1. (usu. in pl.) a boundary, a frontier (esp. of the borderland between England and Scotland or Wales).
2 a tract of often disputed land between two countries.
--v.intr. (foll. by upon, with) (of a country, an estate, etc.) have a common frontier with, border on.
Etymology: ME f. OF marche, marchir ult. f. Gmc: cf. MARK(1)