Definition: The word "accroach" comes from the Greek and has three roots: "ac-ric-oh" which means to touch or come near; "rak-oh", which means to hit or strike; "koo-ah", which is also used as a root in English, meaning to take. It's a very common word today. It originally appeared in Latin in the 13th century and was then commonly used in modern English from about the middle of the 19th century, though it has been less so since. It's often used with the verb "to hit or strike," like "hit a crick" or "strike my ear." Some people think the word is an old-fashioned way to say "accuse", but that's not quite right. It doesn't mean "to accuse or criticize." The word is also sometimes used in the sense of "to make an impact on" or "to come near." I can tell you a bit more about its history, though: In ancient times, there were many stories about people who would use this word to describe how they felt when someone was trying to harm them. For example, one story went like this: A man had fallen into a river and was drowning. His friend said he had hit the water with his foot, but it didn't stop him from sinking down. The man's friend then took another step toward the river, but he couldn't catch up as the current carried him away. Eventually, he fell overboard to the shore. Some people interpreted this story as describing how a person might have attacked or hurt someone else by hitting them with a foot. As time went on, the word "accroach" came to be used in its modern meaning of "to come near." It's still sometimes used today with the verb "to hit or strike," but it is now less likely to be used as an adverb.
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