Approacher

to come near or nearer to:
The cars slowed down as they approached the intersection.
to come near to in quality, character, time, or condition; to come within range for comparison:
As a poet he hardly approaches Keats.
to present, offer, or make a proposal or request to:
to approach the president with a suggestion.
to begin work on; set about:
to approach a problem.
to make advances to; address.
to bring near to something.
to come nearer; draw near:
A storm is approaching.
to come near in character, time, amount, etc.; approximate.
the act of drawing near:
the approach of a train.
nearness or close approximation:
a fair approach to accuracy.
any means of access, as a road or ramp:
the approaches to a city.
the method used or steps taken in setting about a task, problem, etc.:
His approach to any problem was to prepare an outline.
the course to be followed by an aircraft in approaching for a landing or in joining a traffic pattern:
The plane’s approach to the airport was hazardous.
Sometimes, approaches. a presentation, offer, or proposal.
approaches, Military. works for protecting forces in an advance against a fortified position.
Also called approach shot. Golf. a stroke made after teeing off, by which a player attempts to get the ball onto the putting green.
Bowling.

the steps taken and the manner employed in delivering the ball:
He favors a four-step approach.
Also called runway. the area behind the foul line, from which the ball is delivered.

Historical Examples

If an approacher accidentally touched the hem of the garment of an Associate, all sorts of purifications had to be gone through.
The Influence of Buddhism on Primitive Christianity Arthur Lillie

verb
to come nearer in position, time, quality, character, etc, to (someone or something)
(transitive) to make advances to, as with a proposal, suggestion, etc
(transitive) to begin to deal with: to approach a problem
(transitive) (rare) to cause to come near
noun
the act of coming towards or drawing close or closer
a close approximation
the way or means of entering or leaving; access
(often pl) an advance or overture to a person
a means adopted in tackling a problem, job of work, etc
Also called approach path. the course followed by an aircraft preparing for landing
v.

c.1300, from Anglo-French approcher, Old French aprochier “approach, come closer” (12c., Modern French approcher), from Late Latin appropiare “go nearer to,” from Latin ad- “to” (see ad-) + Late Latin propiare “come nearer,” comparative of Latin prope “near” (see propinquity). Replaced Old English neahlæcan.
n.

mid-15c., from approach (v.). Figurative sense of “means of handling a problem, etc.” is first attested 1905.