Verb

(es)

To come or go near, in place or time; to draw nigh; to advance nearer.

* 1769 , Oxford Standard text, , xi, 20,

And if so be that the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?

* 1769 , Oxford Standard text, , x, 25,

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching .

(figuratively) To draw near, in a figurative sense; to make advances; to approximate.

as he approaches to the character of the ablest statesman.

* 1839 , , A Tour in Sweden in 1838 , page 371,

Without these incentives to industry the Norwegian would be like the Laplander, without industry and civilisation ; and the nearer he approaches' to the ''beau idéal'' of those political economists — to the state of being without a taste for these foreign and expensive luxuries — the nearer he ' approaches to the condition of the Laplander in the comforts and enjoyments of life.

* 1898 , , The Works , Volume 11, 2006, Elibron Classics Replica Edition, page 205,

In this respect, the only books which approach to its excellence are Gulliver's Travels and Robinson Crusoe.

To come near to in place, time, character or value; to draw nearer to.

He was an admirable poet, and thought even to have approached Homer. -- .

"Would counsel please approach the bench?" asked the judge.

to approach the city

He approached the age of manhood.

Don't approach that house.

* 1831 , , Volume 1, The American Redstart,

When one approaches the nest of this species, the male exhibits the greatest anxiety respecting its safety, passes and repasses, fluttering and snapping its bill within a few feet, as if determined to repel the intruder.

* 1867 , , Chapter 53: And Last,

Removing with him and the old housekeeper to within a mile of the parsonage-house, where his dear friends resided, he gratified the only remaining wish of Oliver's warm and earnest heart, and thus linked together a little society, whose condition approached as nearly to one of perfect happiness as can ever be known in this changing world.

* 1898 , , Book 1, Chapter 1: The Eve of the War,

Its physical condition is still largely a mystery, but we know now that even in its equatorial region the midday temperature barely approaches that of our coldest winter.

* 1911 [1904], , Chapter III,

If a variable $v$ takes on successively a series of values that approach' nearer and nearer to a constant value $l$ in such a manner that $,\; v\; -\; l,$^{[To be read ''the numerical value of the difference between'' $v$ ''and'' $l$]} becomes and remains less than any assigned arbitrarily small positive quantity, then $v$ is said to '''''approach the limit'' $l$, or to ''converge to the limit $l$. Symbolically this is written

*:: limit $v\; =\; l$, or, $v\; \backslash dot=\; l$.

*::: Usage note: In discussing convergence in mathematical analysis, modern rigorous formulations avoid using the terms approach'' and ''converge . These terms may, however, serve as a form of handwave when rigour is not required.

To make an attempt at (solving a problem or making a policy).

* 1922 , , Chapter II,

And it was with decision that he approached the problem of his wrecked shop.

To speak to, as to make a request or ask a question.

* 1988 Dinesh Vaghela, Publisher's Note'', in , Dinesh Publications, [http://www.well.com/user/jct/],

"Why bother publishing my conversations. It has not helped you, and it is not going to help anybody else", said U.G. when I approached him with the idea of publishing excerpts from his conversations with the constant stream of people who go to visit him.

(military) To take approaches to.

To bring near; to cause to draw near.

(Boyle)

Verb

(obsolete) To prepare oneself.

* (rfdate), (William Shakespeare)

Let us address to tend on Hector's heels.

(obsolete) To speech.

* (rfdate), (John Dryden)

Young Turnus to the beauteous maid addrest .

(obsolete) To aim; to .

* (rfdate), (Edmund Spenser)

And this good knight his way with me addrest .

(obsolete) To prepare or make ready.

* (rfdate), (Edmund Spenser)

His foe was soon addressed .

* (rfdate), (John Dryden)

Turnus addressed his men to single fight.

* (rfdate), (Jeremy Taylor)

The five foolish virgins addressed themselves at the noise of the bridegroom's coming.

(reflexive) To prepare oneself; to apply one's skill or energies (to some object); to betake.

* (rfdate) (Thomas Babington Macaulay)

These men addressed themselves to the task.

* 1851 , (Herman Melville), (Moby Dick) ,

[...] good heavens! dumplings for supper! One young fellow in a green box coat, addressed himself to these dumplings in a most direful manner.

(archaic) To clothe or array; to dress.

* (rfdate) Jewel

Tecla ... addressed herself in man's apparel.

To direct, as words (to any one or any thing); to make, as a speech, petition, etc. (to any one, an audience).

* (rfdate) (John Dryden)

''The young hero had addressed his players to him for his assistance.

To direct speech to; to make a communication to, whether spoken or written; to apply to by words, as by a speech, petition, etc., to speak to; to accost.

* (rfdate) (Joseph Addison)

Are not your orders to address the senate?

* (rfdate) (Jonathan Swift)

The representatives of the nation addressed the king.

* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-19, author=(Peter Wilby)

, volume=189, issue=6, page=30, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Finland spreads word on schools , passage=Imagine a country where children do nothing but play until they start compulsory schooling at age seven. Then, without exception, they attend comprehensives until the age of 16.

To direct in writing, as a letter; to superscribe, or to direct and transmit.

To make suit to as a lover; to court; to woo.

To consign or intrust to the care of another, as agent or factor.

To address oneself to; to prepare oneself for; to apply oneself to; to direct one's speech or discourse to.

* {{quote-magazine, date=2012-03

, author=Lee A. Groat, volume=100, issue=2, page=128, magazine=(American Scientist) , title= Gemstones , passage=Although there are dozens of different types of gems, among the best known and most important are […] . (Common gem materials not addressed in this article include amber, amethyst, chalcedony, garnet, lazurite, malachite, opals, peridot, rhodonite, spinel, tourmaline, turquoise and zircon.)}}

(formal) To direct attention towards a problem or obstacle, in an attempt to resolve it.

* {{quote-news, year=2012, date=April 19, author=Josh Halliday, work=The Guardian

, title= Free speech haven or lawless cesspool – can the internet be civilised? , passage="By all means we want people to use social media, but we do not want you to use it in ways that will incite violence," said Jonathan Toy, Southwark council's head of community safety. "This remains a big issue for us and without some form of censorship purely focusing on [violent videos], I'm not sure how we can address it."}}

(computing) To refer a location in computer memory.

(golf) To get ready to hit the ball on the tee.