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Touch

//tʌt͡ʃ// noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Noun

1
An act of touching, especially with the hand or finger. countable, uncountable
"Suddenly, in the crowd, I felt a touch at my shoulder."
2
the act of putting two things together with no space between them wordnet
3
The faculty or sense of perception by physical contact. countable, uncountable
"With the lights out, she had to rely on touch to find her desk."
4
a distinguishing style wordnet
5
The style or technique with which one plays a musical instrument. countable, uncountable
"He performed one of Ravel's piano concertos with a wonderfully light and playful touch."

Show 32 more definitions

6
the feel of mechanical action wordnet
7
The particular or characteristic mode of action, or the resistance of the keys of an instrument to the fingers. countable, uncountable
"a heavy touch, or a light touch"
8
deftness in handling matters wordnet
9
A distinguishing feature or characteristic. countable, uncountable
"Clever touches like this are what make her such a brilliant writer."
10
the faculty by which external objects or forces are perceived through contact with the body (especially the hands) wordnet
11
A little bit; a small amount. countable, uncountable
"Move it left just a touch and it will be perfect."
12
the sensation produced by pressure receptors in the skin wordnet
13
The part of a sports field beyond the touchlines or goal-lines. countable, uncountable
"He got the ball, and kicked it straight out into touch."
14
a suggestion of some quality wordnet
15
A relationship of close communication or understanding. uncountable
"He promised to keep in touch while he was away."
16
the act of soliciting money (as a gift or loan) wordnet
17
The ability to perform a task well; aptitude. countable, uncountable
"I used to be a great chess player but I've lost my touch."
18
a communicative interaction wordnet
19
Act or power of exciting emotion. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"Not alone / The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches, / Do strongly speak to us."
20
the event of something coming in contact with the body wordnet
21
An emotion or affection. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"a true, natural, and a sensible touch of mercy"
22
a slight but appreciable amount wordnet
23
Personal reference or application. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"Speech of touch toward others should be sparingly used."
24
a slight attack of illness wordnet
25
A single stroke on a drawing or a picture. countable, uncountable
"Never give the least touch with your pencil till you have well examined your design."
26
A brief essay. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"Print my preface in such form as, in the booksellers' phrase, will make a sixpenny touch."
27
A touchstone; hence, stone of the sort used for touchstone. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"Now do I play the touch."
28
Examination or trial by some decisive standard; test; proof; tried quality. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"equity, the true touch of all laws"
29
The broadest part of a plank worked top and but, or of one worked anchor-stock fashion (that is, tapered from the middle to both ends); also, the angles of the stern timbers at the counters. countable, uncountable
"Set off the exact Length forward and aftward from the Observation of the rising of the Keel, by Shipwrights called the Touch, or Place where the Keel's upper Part ends to be streight."
30
The children's game of tag. countable, uncountable
31
A set of changes less than the total possible on seven bells, i.e. less than 5,040. countable, uncountable
32
An act of borrowing or stealing something; a request for money. countable, slang, uncountable
"But towards evening I got a touch at a cove's suck, and eased him of twenty-two quids and a lil, which I took in the usual manner, when he was entering the inn door."
33
The extent to which a person is interested or affected; the amount of outlay on something. countable, slang, uncountable
"Such was Tim Whiffle on the Sunday, with the addition of a cane to indicate riding, it is true he had long had a penchant to a pair of spurs but did not as yet sport them, although a half crown touch at some livery stables was positively decided upon in his own mind, though hitherto the dread of a fall from a horse had prevented the execution of his magnanimous plan."
34
Tallow. UK, countable, dated, uncountable
35
Form; standard of performance. countable, uncountable
"2019 In the mix: Who's pushing for selection for round seven? Australian Football League, 30 April 2019. Accessed 6 May 2019. Jackson Hately, Isaac Cumming and Nick Shipley have been in great touch in the NEAFL."
36
A disposal of the ball during a game, i.e. a kick or a handball. countable, uncountable
"2019 In the mix: Who's pushing for selection for round seven? Australian Football League, 30 April 2019. Accessed 6 May 2019. With just six touches, small forward Daniel Rioli was uncharacteristically quiet against Melbourne, although he did lay five tackles."
37
touch football (a variant of rugby league that does not involve tackling) Australia, countable, uncountable

Verb

1
Primarily physical senses.; To make physical contact with; to bring the hand, finger or other part of the body into contact with. transitive
"I touched his face softly."
2
have an effect upon wordnet
3
Primarily physical senses.; To come into (involuntary) contact with; to meet or intersect. transitive
"Sitting on the bench, the hem of her skirt touched the ground."
4
color lightly wordnet
5
Primarily physical senses.; To come into physical contact, or to be in physical contact. intransitive
"They stood next to each other, their shoulders touching."

Show 45 more definitions

6
comprehend wordnet
7
Primarily physical senses.; To make physical contact with a thing. intransitive
"Please can I have a look, if I promise not to touch?"
8
make a more or less disguised reference to wordnet
9
Primarily physical senses.; To physically disturb; to interfere with, molest, or attempt to harm through contact. transitive
"If you touch her, I'll kill you."
10
consume wordnet
11
Primarily physical senses.; To make intimate physical contact with a person. transitive
"The man was arrested for touching a girl without her consent."
12
be in direct physical contact with; make contact wordnet
13
Primarily physical senses.; To sexually excite with the fingers; to finger or masturbate. reflexive, transitive
"Her parents had caught her touching herself when she was fifteen."
14
make physical contact with, come in contact with wordnet
15
Primarily physical senses.; To have sexual intercourse with
"Tell me the truth, did you touch her?"
16
cause to be in brief contact with wordnet
17
Primarily physical senses.; To cause to be briefly in physical contact with something. transitive
"He quickly touched his knee to the worn marble."
18
tamper with wordnet
19
Primarily physical senses.; To physically affect in specific ways implied by context. transitive
"Frankly, this wood's so strong that sandpaper won't touch it."
20
affect emotionally wordnet
21
Primarily physical senses.; To begin to consume, or otherwise use. transitive
"Are you all right? You've hardly touched your lunch."
22
perceive via the tactile sense wordnet
23
Primarily physical senses.; Of a ship or its passengers: to land, to make a short stop (at). intransitive
"Now a certain grand merchant ship once touched at Rokovoko, and its commander — from all accounts, a very stately punctilious gentleman, at least for a sea captain — this commander was invited to the wedding feast of Queequeg's sister, a pretty young princess just turned of ten."
24
deal with; usually used with a form of negation wordnet
25
Primarily physical senses.; To lay hands on (someone suffering from scrofula) as a form of cure, as formerly practised by English and French monarchs. historical, transitive
"But in fact the English kings of the seventeenth century usually began to touch form the day of their accession, without waiting for any such consecration."
26
be equal to in quality or ability wordnet
27
Primarily physical senses.; To fasten; to take effect; to make impression. intransitive, obsolete
"Strong waters pierce metals, and will touch upon gold, that will not touch upon silver."
28
be relevant to wordnet
29
Primarily physical senses.; To bring (a sail) so close to the wind that its weather leech shakes.
30
to extend as far as wordnet
31
Primarily physical senses.; To be brought, as a sail, so close to the wind that its weather leech shakes. intransitive
32
Primarily physical senses.; To keep the ship as near (the wind) as possible.
"to touch the wind"
33
Primarily non-physical senses.; To imbue or endow with a specific quality. transitive
"My grandfather, as many people know, was touched with greatness."
34
Primarily non-physical senses.; To deal with in speech or writing; to mention briefly, to allude to. archaic, transitive
"Next to sorrow still I may annex such accidents as procure fear; for besides those terrors which I have before touched, […] there is a superstitious fear […] which much trouble many of us."
35
Primarily non-physical senses.; To deal with in speech or writing; briefly to speak or write (on or upon something). intransitive
"'Well, but since we have touched upon this business, and for the last time I hope,' continued the doctor, 'there is one point I should like you to understand.[…]'"
36
Primarily non-physical senses.; To concern, to have to do with. transitive
"Men of Israhell take hede to youreselves what ye entende to do as touchinge these men."
37
Primarily non-physical senses.; To affect emotionally; to bring about tender or painful feelings in. transitive
"If you are so fond over her iniquity, give her patent to offend, for if it touch not you, it comes near nobody."
38
Primarily non-physical senses.; To affect in a negative way, especially only slightly. dated, transitive
"He had been drinking over lunch, and was clearly touched."
39
Primarily non-physical senses.; To give royal assent to by touching it with the sceptre. Scottish, transitive
"The bill was finally touched after many hours of deliberation."
40
Primarily non-physical senses.; To obtain money from, usually by borrowing (from a friend). slang, transitive
"I was running short, so I touched old Bertie for a fiver."
41
Primarily non-physical senses.; To disturb the mental functions of; to make somewhat insane; often followed with "in the head". transitive
"You must be touched if you think I'm taking your advice."
42
Primarily non-physical senses.; To be on the level of; to approach in excellence or quality. transitive
"There was his mistress, Maria Morano. I don't think I've ever seen anything to touch her, and when you work for the screen [as I do] you're apt to have a pretty exacting standard of female beauty."
43
Primarily non-physical senses.; To come close to; to approach. transitive
"On Sunday afternoon it was as dark as night, with barely room for two riders abreast on a gradient that touches 20%."
44
Primarily non-physical senses.; To mark (a file or document) as having been modified. transitive
45
To try; to prove, as with a touchstone.
"I mean to touch your love indeed."
46
To mark or delineate with touches; to add a slight stroke to with the pencil or brush.
"The lines, though touched but faintly, are drawn right."
47
To infect; to affect slightly. obsolete
"Hee was touched with great Remorse"
48
To strike; to manipulate; to play on.
"to touch an instrument of music"
49
To perform, as a tune; to play.
"A person in the royal retinue touched a light and lively air on the flageolet."
50
To influence by impulse; to impel forcibly.
"No decree of mine,[…][to] touch with lightest moment of impulse his free will."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English touchen, tochen, from Old French tochier (“to touch”) (whence Modern French toucher; compare French doublet toquer (“to offend, bother, harass”)), from Vulgar Latin *tuccō (“to knock, strike, offend”), from Frankish *tukkōn (“to knock, strike, touch”), from Proto-Germanic *tukkōną (“to tug, grab, grasp”), from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to draw, pull, lead”). Largely displaced native Middle English rinen, from Old English hrīnan (whence Modern English rine). Doublet of tuck. Cognates Cognate with Old High German zochhōn, zuhhōn (“to grasp, take, seize, snatch”) (whence German zucken (“to jerk, flinch”)), German Low German tucken, tocken (“to fidget, twitch, pull up, entice, throb, knock, repeatedly tap”), Middle Dutch tocken, tucken (“to touch, entice”) (whence Dutch tokkelen (“to strum, pluck”)), Old English tucian, tūcian (“to disturb, mistreat”) (whence Modern English tuck). Compare also Old High German tokkōn, tockōn (“to abut, collide”). Outside Germanic, cognate to Albanian cek (“to touch”), Old Church Slavonic тъкнѫти (tŭknǫti). More at tuck, take.

Etymology 2

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