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touch

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Touch, one of the five senses along with taste, smell, hearing and seeing, is defined as the act you do when you hold, caress, feel or otherwise encounter something with your hand.

(noun)

An example of touch is what you do when you put your hand on someone's arm.

To touch is to use your hand to feel, move, operate or otherwise encounter something.

(verb)

An example of touch is the action you do when you tap someone's shoulder.
An example of touch is when you hit a key on the keyboard of your computer.

See touch in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb

to put the hand, the finger, or some other part of the body on, so as to feel; perceive by the sense of feeling
to bring into contact with something else: to touch a match to kindling, to touch the ceiling with a stick
Historical to lay the hand on (a person with scrofula), as some kings once did, supposedly to effect a cure
to be or come into contact with
to border on; adjoin
to strike lightly
to be effective on contact; have a physical effect on: usually used in the negative: water won't touch these grease spots
to injure slightly: frost touched the plants
to give a light tint, aspect, etc. to: used chiefly in the past participle: clouds touched with pink
to lay hands on; handle; use
to handle roughly or molest
to taste or partake of: usually used in the negative: didn't touch his supper
to come up to; reach; attain
to compare with; equal; rival: usually used in the negative: cooking that can't touch hers
to take or make use of without permission or wrongly; misappropriate
to deal with or refer to, esp. in a light or passing way; mention
to have to do with; affect; concern: a subject that touches our welfare
to arouse an emotion in, esp. one of sympathy, gratitude, etc.
to hurt the feelings of; pain: touched him to the quick
Slang to ask for, or get by asking, a loan or gift of money from
Archaic
1. to strike the keys of, pluck the strings of, etc. (a musical instrument)
2. to play (a few notes, an air, etc.)
Geom. to be tangent to

Origin: ME touchen < OFr tochier (Fr toucher) < VL *toccare < *tok, light blow, of echoic orig.

intransitive verb

to touch a person or thing
to be or come in contact
to come near to something; verge (on or upon)
to pertain; bear (on or upon)
to treat a topic slightly or in passing: with on or upon
to stop briefly or land (at a port, etc.) during a voyage
Geom. to be tangent

noun

a touching or being touched; specif.,
1. a light tap, stroke, etc.
2. a delicate stroke made with a brush in painting, etc.
the sense by which physical objects are felt; tactile sense
a sensation caused by touching, esp. one that is characteristic of a particular substance or texture; tactile quality; feel
a mental capacity analogous to the sense of touch; mental or moral sensitivity: she has a nice touch with difficult people
a special or characteristic quality, skill, or manner: he lost his touch
an effect of being touched; specif.,
1. a mark, impression, etc. left by touching
2. a subtle change or addition in a painting, story, or other work
a very small amount, degree, etc.; specif.,
1. a trace, tinge, etc.: a touch of humor
2. a slight attack: a touch of the flu
contact or communication: to lose touch with reality, to keep in touch with friends
Slang
1. the act of asking for, or getting in this way, a loan or gift of money: to make a touch
2. money so gotten
3. a person with reference to the ease with which money can be so gotten from him
Music
1. the manner in which a performer strikes the keys of a keyboard instrument: a delicate touch
2. the manner in which the action of a piano, etc. responds to the fingers: a piano with a heavy touch
3. in bell ringing, a set of changes less than a peal
Rugby, Soccer the part of the field outside the sidelines

Related Forms:

touchability noun
touchable adjective
toucher noun

See touch in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb touched, touch·ing, touch·es

verb, transitive

To cause or permit a part of the body, especially the hand or fingers, to come in contact with so as to feel: reached out and touched the smooth stone.
a. To bring something into light contact with: touched the sore spot with a probe.
b. To bring (one thing) into light contact with something else: grounded the radio by touching a wire to it; touching fire to a fuse.
To press or push lightly; tap: touched a control to improve the TV picture; touched 19 on the phone to get room service.
To lay hands on in violence: I never touched him!
To eat or drink; taste: She didn't touch her food.
To disturb or move by handling: Just don't touch anything in my room!
a. To meet without going beyond; adjoin: the ridge where his property touches mine.
b. Mathematics To be tangent to.
c. To come up to; reach: when the thermometer touches 90°.
d. To match in quality; equal: Rival artists can't touch her work at its best.
To deal with, especially in passing; treat briefly or allusively: some remarks touching recent events.
To be pertinent to; concern: environmental problems that touch us all.
To affect the emotions of; move to tender response: an appeal that touched us deeply.
To injure slightly: plants touched by frost.
To color slightly; tinge: a white petal touched with pink.
a. To draw with light strokes.
b. To change or improve by adding fine lines or strokes.
To stamp (tested metal).
Slang To wheedle a loan or handout from: touched a friend for five dollars.
a. Archaic To strike or pluck the keys or strings of (a musical instrument).
b. To play (a musical piece).

verb, intransitive

To touch someone or something.
To be or come into contact: Don't let the live wires touch.

noun

The act or an instance of touching.
The physiological sense by which external objects or forces are perceived through contact with the body.
A sensation experienced in touching something with a characteristic texture: felt the touch of snowflakes on her face.
A light push; a tap: an electric switch that requires just a touch.
A discernible mark or effect left by contact with something.
A small change or addition, or the effect achieved by it: Candlelight provided just the right touch.
A suggestion, hint, or tinge: a touch of jealousy.
A mild attack: a touch of the flu.
A small amount; a dash: a touch of paprika.
a. A manner or technique of striking the keys of a keyboard instrument: He played briskly with a light touch.
b. The resistance to pressure characteristic of the keys of a keyboard: an old piano with uneven touch.
An ability to propel a ball a desired distance: a golfer with no touch around the green.
A facility; a knack: retained his touch as a carpenter in his retirement.
A characteristic way of doing things: recognized my friend's touch in the choice of the card.
The state of being in contact or communication: kept in touch with several classmates; out of touch with current trends.
An official stamp indicating the quality of a metal product.
Slang
a. The act of approaching someone for a loan or handout.
b. A prospect for a loan or handout: a generous person, a soft touch for beggars.
Sports The area just outside the sidelines in soccer or just outside and including the sidelines in Rugby.

Phrasal Verbs: touch down To make contact with the ground; land: The spacecraft touched down on schedule. touch off To cause to explode; fire. To initiate; trigger: disclosures that touched off a public uproar. To describe or portray with deft precision.touch on/upon To deal with (a topic) in passing. To pertain to; concern. To approach being; verge on: frenzy that touched on clinical insanity. touch up To improve by making minor corrections, changes, or additions.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English touchen

Origin: , from Old French touchier

Origin: , ultimately from Vulgar Latin *toccāre

Related Forms: