march

[[t]mɑ͟ː(r)tʃ[/t]]

♦♦♦

marches, marching, marched

1) V-ERG When soldiers march somewhere, or when a commanding officer marches them somewhere, they walk there with very regular steps, as a group.

[V prep/adv] A Scottish battalion was marching down the street...

[V n adv/prep] Captain Ramirez called them to attention and marched them off to the main camp...

[V amount/n] We marched fifteen miles to Yadkin River...

[V-ing] The ice was not thick enough to bear the weight of marching men. [Also V]

●

PHRASE: usu PHR prep/adv A day's march is the distance that a group of soldiers can march in one day.

The Colonel and his forces were camped on the plain of Tuna, a day's march north of Phari.

PHRASE: oft v-link PHR If a group of soldiers are on the march, they are marching somewhere.

Tarleton's men had been on the march for much of the night.

N-COUNT

March is also a noun.

After a short march, the column entered the village.

2) VERB When a large group of people march for a cause, they walk somewhere together in order to express their ideas or to protest about something.

[V prep/adv] The demonstrators then marched through the capital chanting slogans and demanding free elections...

[V prep/adv] Hundreds of activists marked the holy day by marching for peace and disarmament. [Also V]

Derived words:

marcher plural N-COUNT

Fights between police and marchers lasted for three hours.

N-COUNT

March is also a noun.

Organisers expect up to 300,000 protesters to join the march.

3) VERB If you say that someone marches somewhere, you mean that they walk there quickly and in a determined way, for example because they are angry.

[V prep/adv] He marched into the kitchen without knocking.

4) VERB If you march someone somewhere, you force them to walk there with you, for example by holding their arm tightly.

[be V-ed prep/adv] They were marched through a crocodile-infested area and, if they slowed down, were beaten with sticks...

[V n prep/adv] I marched him across the room, down the hall and out onto the doorstep.

5) N-SING: usu the N of n The march of something is its steady development or progress.

It is easy to feel trampled by the relentless march of technology...

Society's march toward ever-increasing materialism was continuing.

6) N-COUNT: usu with supp A march is a piece of music with a regular rhythm that you can march to.

A military band played Russian marches and folk tunes.

7) PHRASE: PHR after v If you give someone their marching orders, you tell them that you no longer want or need them, for example as your employee or as your lover. [BRIT]

They've had their marching orders...

What does it take for a woman to say `that's enough' and give her man his marching orders?

(in AM, use walking papers)

8) PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR on n If you steal a march on someone, you start doing something before they do it in order to gain an advantage over them.

If its strategy succeeds, Mexico could even steal a march on its northern neighbour.