(a) The boundary of a country; border district; pl. borderlands, frontiers; the surrounding areas of a town or castle; putten out of marches, to drive (a people) out of their land; (b) a coastal part of a country or area; a maritime region; pl. the limits or bounds of the sea; (c) the land between the principality of Wales and England; also, the region along the Scottish border; -- often pl.; marche(s of scotlond (wales); est (west) marche(s, the East (West) marches of Scotland; (d) fig. link, intermediary.

Mercia [orig. the borderland of the English, facing the Britons in the West]; -- sometimes pl.; ~ lond; the ~ of wales; marches laue, laue of marches, the Mercian law [cp. Merchene laue].

(a) A region, province, district; a country; -- often pl.; also, land, territory; (b) in titles of one of the English kings of arms: south marche(s of engelond, south marche, the area south of the river Trent in England under the jurisdiction of one of the principal heralds of England; ~ king of armes, the King of Arms, or chief herald, of this region; (c) the range or territory of an animal.

Phrases: (a) ~ gate, ?a road across or along a frontier; marche(s man, a native of a region, esp. of a border area; also, a man from the Welsh or Scottish marches in England; ~ stoue, a boundary place, an intermediate region; (b) in titles of English and legendary nobilities.

In surnames.