March, n. [F. marche.]
1. The act of marching; a movement of soldiers
from one stopping place to another; military progress; advance of
troops.
These troops came to the army harassed with a long and
wearisome march.
Bacon.
2. Hence: Measured and regular advance or
movement, like that of soldiers moving in order; stately or
deliberate walk; steady onward movement.
With solemn march
Goes slow and stately by them.
Shak.
This happens merely because men will not bide their
time, but will insist on precipitating the march of
affairs.
Buckle.
3. The distance passed over in marching; as,
an hour's march; a march of twenty miles.
4. A piece of music designed or fitted to
accompany and guide the movement of troops; a piece of music in the
march form.
The drums presently striking up a
march.
Knolles.
To make a march, (Card Playing), to
take all the tricks of a hand, in the game of euchre.
March, n. [OE. marche, F.
marche; of German origin; cf. OHG. marcha, G.
mark, akin to OS. marka, AS. mearc, Goth.
marka, L. margo edge, border, margin, and possibly to
E. mark a sign. √106. Cf. Margin,
Margrave, Marque, Marquis.] A territorial
border or frontier; a region adjacent to a boundary line; a confine;
-- used chiefly in the plural, and in English history applied
especially to the border land on the frontiers between England and
Scotland, and England and Wales.
Geneva is situated in the marches of several
dominions -- France, Savoy, and Switzerland.
Fuller.
Lords of waste marches, kings of desolate
isles.
Tennyson.March, v. i. [Cf. OF. marchir.
See 2d March.] To border; to be contiguous; to lie side
by side. [Obs.]
That was in a strange land
Which marcheth upon Chimerie.
Gower.
To march with, to have the same boundary for
a greater or less distance; -- said of an estate.
March, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Marched (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Marching.] [F. marcher, in OF. also, to tread, prob.
fr. L. marcus hammer. Cf. Mortar.] 1.
To move with regular steps, as a soldier; to walk in a grave,
deliberate, or stately manner; to advance steadily.
Shak.
2. To proceed by walking in a body or in
military order; as, the German army marched into
France.
March (?), n. [L. Martius mensis
Mars'month fr. Martius belonging to Mars, the god of
war: cf. F. mars. Cf. Martial.] The third month
of the year, containing thirty-one days.
The stormy March is come at last,
With wind, and cloud, and changing skies.
Bryant.
As mad as a March Hare, an old English
Saying derived from the fact that March is the rutting time of hares,
when they are excitable and violent. Wright.
March, v. t. To cause to move with
regular steps in the manner of a soldier; to cause to move in
military array, or in a body, as troops; to cause to advance in a
steady, regular, or stately manner; to cause to go by peremptory
command, or by force.
March them again in fair array.
Prior.