approach ing

(intransitive) To come or go near, in place or time; to move toward; to advance nearer; to draw nigh.

(intransitive, golf, tennis) To play an approach shot.

(ambitransitive, figuratively) Used intransitively, followed by to: to draw near (to someone or something); to make advances; to approximate or become almost equal.

(transitive, rarely intransitive) Of an immovable object or a number of such objects: to be positioned as to (notionally) appear to be moving towards (a place).

(transitive, also figuratively) To move toward (someone or something) in place, time, character, or value; to draw nearer to.

(transitive) To bring (something) near something else; to cause (something) to draw near.

(transitive, mathematical analysis) Used when defining limits, preceded by as: To become arbitrarily close to some value, be it a number, vector or infinity and have an effect on another value.

(transitive) To attempt to make (a policy) or solve (a problem).

(transitive) To bring up or propose to (someone) an idea, question, request, etc.

(transitive, military) To take approaches to (a place); to move towards (a place) by using covered roads, trenches, or other works.

(transitive, archaic, euphemistic) To have sexual intercourse with (someone).

(also figuratively) 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.

(also figuratively) An avenue, passage, or way by which a building or place can be approached; an access.

(climbing) A path taken to reach the climbing area, for example, from a car park, road, etc.

(figuratively) A manner of making (a policy) or solving (a problem, etc.).

(aviation, also attributively) The way an aircraft comes in to land at an airport.

A specific procedure used for approaching and landing at an airport.

(bowling) The area before the lane in which a bowler may stand or run up before bowling the ball.

(archaic) An opportunity of drawing near; access.

(golf, tennis) Ellipsis of approach shot. [(golf) Any shot, normally not when teeing off, aimed to land on the green, hit for accuracy more than power.]