approach vs runway

approach

noun
  • The way an aircraft comes in to land at an airport. 

  • An avenue, passage, or way by which a building or place can be approached; an access. 

  • An act of coming near in character or value; an approximation. 

  • The area before the lane in which a bowler may stand or run up before bowling the ball. 

  • A manner of making (a policy) or solving (a problem, etc.). 

  • A path taken to reach the climbing area, for example, from a car park, road, etc. 

  • An act of drawing near in place or time; an advancing or coming near. 

  • A specific procedure used for approaching and landing at an airport. 

verb
  • To play an approach shot. 

  • To come or go near, in place or time; to move toward; to advance nearer; to draw nigh. 

  • Used intransitively, followed by to: to draw near (to someone or something); to make advances; to approximate or become almost equal. 

  • To bring (something) near something else; to cause (something) to draw near. 

  • Of an immovable object or a number of such objects: to be positioned as to (notionally) appear to be moving towards (a place). 

  • To take approaches to (a place); to move towards (a place) by using covered roads, trenches, or other works. 

  • To attempt to make (a policy) or solve (a problem). 

  • To bring up or propose to (someone) an idea, question, request, etc. 

  • To move toward (someone or something) in place, time, character, or value; to draw nearer to. 

runway

noun
  • A section of land, usually paved, for airplanes to land on or take off from. 

  • A defined, narrow section of land or an artificial structure used for access. 

  • In javelin, long jump, and similar events: a short track along which athletes can accelerate themselves for their jumps or throws. 

  • A stream bed. 

  • Hence, the number of months that a startup company can operate by using up its cash reserves. 

  • The usual path taken by deer or other wild animals, such as from a forest to a water source. 

  • A narrow walkway (often on a platform) extending from a stage on which people walk, especially one used by models during fashion shows. 

How often have the words approach and runway occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )