march

[ mahrch ]

/ mɑrtʃ /

verb (used without object)

to walk with regular and measured tread, as soldiers on parade; advance in step in an organized body.

to walk in a stately, deliberate manner.

to go forward; advance; proceed: Time marches on.

verb (used with object)

to cause to march.

noun

the act or course of marching.

the distance covered in a single period of marching.

advance; progress; forward movement: the march of science.

a piece of music with a rhythm suited to accompany marching.

Words nearby march

marcello, marcellus, marcellus i, marcellus ii, marcescent, march, march break, march brown, march fly, march fracture, march hare

Idioms for march

march on, to march toward, as in protest or in preparation for confrontation or battle: The angry mob marched on the Bastille.

on the march, moving ahead; progressing; advancing: Automation is on the march.

steal a march on, to gain an advantage over, especially secretly or slyly.

Origin of march

1375–1425; late Middle English marchen < Middle French march(i)er, Old French marchier to tread, move < Frankish *markōn presumably, to mark, pace out (a boundary); see mark¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for steal a march on (1 of 5)

March¹

/ (mɑːtʃ) /

noun

the third month of the year, consisting of 31 days

Word Origin for March

from Old French, from Latin Martius (month) of Mars

British Dictionary definitions for steal a march on (2 of 5)

March²

/ (març) /

noun

the German name for the Morava (def. 1)

British Dictionary definitions for steal a march on (3 of 5)

MArch

abbreviation for

Master of Architecture

British Dictionary definitions for steal a march on (4 of 5)

march¹

/ (mɑːtʃ) /

verb

(intr) to walk or proceed with stately or regular steps, usually in a procession or military formation

(tr) to make (a person or group) proceedhe marched his army to the town

(tr) to traverse or cover by marchingto march a route

noun

the act or an instance of marching

a regular stridea slow march

a long or exhausting walk

advance; progression (of time, etc)

a distance or route covered by marching

a piece of music, usually in four beats to the bar, having a strongly accented rhythm

steal a march on to gain an advantage over, esp by a secret or underhand enterprise

Derived forms of march

marcher, noun

Word Origin for march

C16: from Old French marchier to tread, probably of Germanic origin; compare Old English mearcian to mark 1

British Dictionary definitions for steal a march on (5 of 5)

march²

/ (mɑːtʃ) /

noun

Also called: marchland a frontier, border, or boundary or the land lying along it, often of disputed ownership

verb

(intr; often foll by upon or with) to share a common border (with)

Word Origin for march

C13: from Old French marche, from Germanic; related to mark 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with steal a march on (1 of 2)

steal a march on

Gain an advantage over unexpectedly or secretly, as in Macy's stole a march on their rival department store with their Thanksgiving Day parade. This metaphoric expression comes from medieval warfare, where a march was the distance an army could travel in a day. By quietly marching at night, a force could surprise and overtake the enemy at daybreak. Its figurative use dates from the second half of the 1700s.

Idioms and Phrases with steal a march on (2 of 2)

march

In addition to the idiom beginning with march

marching orders, get one's
march to a different beat

also see:

steal a march on

march

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

noun

Content related to march

Words nearby march

Idioms for march

Origin of march

British Dictionary definitions for steal a march on (1 of 5)

noun

Word Origin for March

British Dictionary definitions for steal a march on (2 of 5)

noun

British Dictionary definitions for steal a march on (3 of 5)

abbreviation for

British Dictionary definitions for steal a march on (4 of 5)

verb

noun

Derived forms of march

Word Origin for march

British Dictionary definitions for steal a march on (5 of 5)

noun

verb

Word Origin for march

Idioms and Phrases with steal a march on (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with steal a march on (2 of 2)