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
- to strike the keys of, pluck the strings of, etc. (a musical instrument)
- 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.