march

march in music, composition intended to accompany marching. The only constant characteristics of a march are duple meter and a fairly simple rhythmic design. In mood, marches range from the moving death march in Wagner's Götterdämmerung to the brisk military marches of John Philip Sousa and the martial hymns of the late 19th cent. Examples of the varied use of the march can be found in Beethoven's Eroica Symphony, in the marches militaires of Schubert, in the marche funèbre in Chopin's Sonata in B flat minor, and in the Dead March in Handel's Saul.

march v.
1. walk in a military manner with a regular measured tread: they marched past the cemetery.

2. walk or proceed quickly and with determination: without a word she marched from the room.

3. force (someone) to walk somewhere quickly: she gripped Rachel's arm and marched her out through the doors.
n.
1. an act or instance of marching: the relieving force was more than a day's march away.

2. a piece of music composed to accompany marching or with a rhythmic character suggestive of marching.

3. a procession as a protest or demonstration: a protest march.
on the march marching:
the army was on the march at last.

march march to a different drum conform to different principles and practices from those around one; ultimately from Henry David Thoreau Walden (1854).

See also hunger march, Long March at long, an army marches on its stomach.