Lewis & Short

2. accessus, ūs, m. [accedo], a going or coming to or near, an approaching, approach (syn. aditus; opp. recessus, discessus).

  1. I. Lit.: accessus nocturnus ad urbem, Cic. Mil. 19: (bestiarum) ad res salutares (opp. recessus), id. N. D. 2, 12 fin.: accessus prohibet refugitque viriles, Ov. M. 14, 636: solisaccessus discessusque, Cic. N. D. 2, 7; of the tide, id. Div. 2, 14 fin.; of a disease, Gell. 4, 2; of soldiers: difficilis, Caes. B. Afr. 5: maritimus, from the sea: pedestris, on the land side, id. B. Alex. 26: loci, to a place, id. B. Hisp. 38.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. Poet. of permission to approach, access, admittance (cf. aditus): dare accessum alicui, Ov. Pont. 2, 2, 41: negare, id. Her. 10, 64.
      2. 2. The place by which one approaches, a passage, an entrance (in sing. and plur.), Verg. A. 8, 229; Suet. Caes. 58; Flor. 2, 12, 5; for ships, Liv. 29, 27, 9.
  2. II. Fig.
    1. A. An approaching, approach: ita pedetemptim cum accessus a se ad causam facti, tum recessus, an approach to the matter, Cic. Fam. 9, 14, 7.
    2. B. An accession, increase: accessu istius splendoris, Cod. Th. 6, 35, 7.