Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To draw near; approach.
  • To bring near.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb Archaic To approach.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb obscure to approach, to near

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

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Examples

  • Mivers professed -- not to belong, he belonged to himself alone, but to appropinquate.

    Kenelm Chillingly — Complete Edward Bulwer Lytton Lytton 1838

  • The conversation arrested its discursive nature, to settle upon a political chief, the highest in fame and station of that party to which Mivers professed -- not to belong, he belonged to himself alone, but to appropinquate.

    Kenelm Chillingly — Volume 04 Edward Bulwer Lytton Lytton 1838

Comments

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  • Approach.

    September 20, 2007

  • Where does the "quate" come from?

    September 21, 2007

  • Says Webster's Revised: "L. appropinquatus, p. p. of appropinquare; ad + prope near."

    September 21, 2007

  • Right, it says "ad + prope", but doesn't explain where the quate comes from.

    September 22, 2007

  • Hmm. Here's a more thorough etymology from OED:

    f. L. appropinquat- ppl. stem of appropinquare to draw nigh to, f. ap- = ad- to + propinquare, f. propinqu-us neighbouring, f. prope nigh, near.

    Here's more: looks as though its origins are similar to that of propinquity, which comes from the Spanish propincuidad: "late 14th cent. as propinquidat; also as propincuidat (early 15th cent.), from Italian propinquità (c1200)."

    So somewhere in there, the "-cuidat" appears to have become "-quidat." I'm guessing the -ate suffix on appropinquate is more modern, but the "qu" was kept.

    That help?

    September 22, 2007

  • Yes, it does. Does the part meaning "neighboring" become cuidad meaning city (via neighborhood)?

    September 22, 2007