March

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /mɑːtʃ/

Definitions

1. To proceed by walking with steady, even steps in a group or organized fashion ; to move forward with a deliberate and continuous pace ; the act of advancing steadily on foot, often for a purpose or demonstration
2. To walk in a structured or rhythmic manner as part of a group or parade ; to pass or progress steadily in a particular direction ; a steady, purposeful walk usually associated with military or formal processions
3. To stride forward in unison, often as a form of protest or ceremonial activity ; to advance continuously with determination ; a fixed-duration period marked by forward movement or focus

Etymology: The most striking thing about "march" is how the walking sense grew out of the idea of a boundary. Its ancestor, Frankish "markōn", meant "to mark out" or, more physically, "to press with the foot", and Old French "marchier" carried both senses: to stride, and to trample. A march was originally a way of pressing a path into the ground, which is why the verb sits so close to the Old English "mearc", meaning "mark" or "boundary", and to the English word "mark" itself. A separate word, the noun "march" meaning a tract of land along a border, has a different root. It came into Middle English from Old French "marche", meaning boundary or frontier, and ultimately traces back to a Proto-Indo-European root for "edge". Historically, a march was a frontier province, and English still preserves this sense in place names and in the "Welsh Marches". The two words are unrelated in origin, though they have converged in English spelling and pronunciation.

Synonyms: stride, walk, advance, progress, parade

Antonyms: halt, stop, retreat, dawdle, linger