Touch — Defs

01 v. t. To come in contact with; to hit or strike lightly against; to extend the hand, foot, or the like, so as to reach or rest on.

imp. & p. p. Touched; p. pr. & vb. n. Touching

1.
To come in contact with; to hit or strike lightly against; to extend the hand, foot, or the like, so as to reach or rest on.
“Him thus intent Ithuriel with his spear Touched lightly.” — Milton.
2.
To perceive by the sense of feeling.
“Nothing but body can be touched or touch.” — Greech.
3.
To come to; to reach; to attain to.
“The god, vindictive, doomed them never more- Ah, men unblessed! -- to touch their natal shore.” — Pope.
4.
To try; to prove, as with a touchstone.[Obs.]
“Wherein I mean to touch your love indeed.” — Shak.
5.
To relate to; to concern; to affect.
“The quarrel toucheth none but us alone.” — Shak.
6.
To handle, speak of, or deal with; to treat of.
“Storial thing that toucheth gentilesse.” — Chaucer.
7.
To meddle or interfere with; as, I have not touched the books.
8.
To affect the senses or the sensibility of; to move; to melt; to soften; especially, to cause feelings of pity, compassion, sympathy, or gratitude in.
“What of sweet before Hath touched my sense, flat seems to this and harsh.” — Milton.

“The tender sire was touched with what he said.” — Addison.
9.
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.” — Pope.
10.
To infect; to affect slightly.
11.
To make an impression on; to have effect upon.
“Its face . . . so hard that a file will not touch it.” — Moxon.
12.
To strike; to manipulate; to play on; as, to touch an instrument of music.
“[They] touched their golden harps.” — Milton.
13.
To perform, as a tune; to play.
“A person is the royal retinue touched a light and lively air on the flageolet.” — Sir W. Scott.
14.
To influence by impulse; to impel forcibly.
15.
To harm, afflict, or distress.
“Let us make a covenant with thee, that thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee.” — Gen. xxvi. 28, 29.
16.
To affect with insanity, especially in a slight degree; to make partially insane; -- rarely used except in the past participle.
“She feared his head was a little touched.” — Ld. Lytton.
17.
To be tangent to. See Tangent, a.(Geom.) See: Tangent
18.
To lay a hand upon for curing disease.
19.
To compare with; to be equal to; -- usually with a negative; as, he held that for good cheer nothing could touch an open fire.[Colloq.]
20.
To induce to give or lend; to borrow from; as, to touch one for a loan; hence, to steal from.[Slang]

Phrases & compounds

To touch a sail — to bring it so close to the wind that its weather leech shakes.

To touch the wind — to keep the ship as near the wind as possible.

To touch up — to repair; to improve by touches or emendation.

02 v. i. To be in contact; to be in a state of junction, so that no space is between; as, two spheres touch only at points.

1.
To be in contact; to be in a state of junction, so that no space is between; as, two spheres touch only at points.
2.
To fasten; to take effect; to make impression.[R.]
“Strong waters pierce metals, and will touch upon gold, that will not touch upon silver.” — Bacon.
3.
To treat anything in discourse, especially in a slight or casual manner; -- often with on or upon.
“If the antiquaries have touched upon it, they immediately quitted it.” — Addison.
4.
To be brought, as a sail, so close to the wind that its weather leech shakes.(Naut)
“I made a little voyage round the lake, and touched on the several towns that lie on its coasts.” — Addison.

03 n. The act of touching, or the state of being touched; contact.

1.
The act of touching, or the state of being touched; contact.
“Their touch affrights me as a serpent's sting.” — Shak.
2.
The sense by which pressure or traction exerted on the skin is recognized; the sense by which the properties of bodies are determined by contact; the tactile sense. See Tactile sense, under Tactile.(Physiol.) See: Tactile
“The spider's touch, how exquisitely fine.” — Pope.
3.
Act or power of exciting emotion.
“Not alone The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches, Do strongly speak to us.” — Shak.
4.
An emotion or affection.
“A true, natural, and a sensible touch of mercy.” — Hooker.
5.
Personal reference or application.[Obs.]
“Speech of touch toward others should be sparingly used.” — Bacon.
6.
A stroke; as, a touch of raillery; a satiric touch; hence, animadversion; censure; reproof.
“I never bare any touch of conscience with greater regret.” — Eikon Basilike.
7.
A single stroke on a drawing or a picture.
“Never give the least touch with your pencil till you have well examined your design.” — Dryden.
8.
Feature; lineament; trait.
“Of many faces, eyes, and hearts, To have the touches dearest prized.” — Shak.
9.
The act of the hand on a musical instrument; bence, in the plural, musical notes.
“Soft stillness and the night Become the touches of sweet harmony.” — Shak.
10.
A small quantity intermixed; a little; a dash.
“Eyes La touch of Sir Peter Lely in them.” — Hazlitt.

“Madam, I have a touch of your condition.” — Shak.
11.
A hint; a suggestion; slight notice.
“A small touch will put him in mind of them.” — Bacon.
12.
A slight and brief essay.[Colloq.]
“Print my preface in such form as, in the booksellers' phrase, will make a sixpenny touch.” — Swift.
13.
A touchstone; hence, stone of the sort used for touchstone.[Obs.]
“A neat new monument of touch and alabaster.” — Fuller.
14.
Hence, examination or trial by some decisive standard; test; proof; tried quality.
“Equity, the true touch of all laws.” — Carew.

“Friends of noble touch .” — Shak.
15.
The particular or characteristic mode of action, or the resistance of the keys of an instrument to the fingers; as, a heavy touch, or a light touch; also, the manner of touching, striking, or pressing the keys of a piano; as, a legato touch; a staccato touch.(Mus.)
16.
The broadest part of a plank worked top and but (see Top and but, under Top, n.), 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.(Shipbilding) See: Top
17.
That part of the field which is beyond the line of flags on either side.(Football)
18.
A boys' game; tag.
19.
A set of changes less than the total possible on seven bells, that is, less than 5,040.(Change Ringing)
20.
An act of borrowing or stealing.[Slang]
21.
Tallow; -- a plumber's term.[Eng.]
“My mind and senses keep touch and time.” — Sir W. Scott.