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touch |
6 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Touch \Touch\, v. t. 1. To compare with of be equal to -- usually with a negative; as he held that for good cheer nothing could touch an open fire. [Colloq.] 2. To induce to give or lend; to borrow from as to touch one for a loan; hence to steal from [Slang] From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Touch \Touch\, n. 1. (Change Ringing) A set of changes less than the total possible on seven bells, that is less than 5,040. 2. An act of borrowing or stealing. [Slang] 3. Tallow; -- a plumber's term. [Eng.] From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Touch \Touch\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Touched}; p. pr & vb n. {Touching}.] [F. toucher, OF touchier, tuchier of Teutonic origin; cf OHG. zucchen zukken to twitch, pluck, draw, G. zukken zukken v. intens. fr OHG. ziohan to draw, G. ziehen akin to E. tug. See {Tuck}, v. t., {Tug}, and cf {Tocsin}, {Toccata}.] 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. --Pope. 8. To affect the senses or the sensibility of to move to melt; to soften. 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. --Bacon. 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. `` No decree of mine, . . . [to] touch with lightest moment of impulse his free will,'' --Milton. 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. (Geom.) To be tangent to See {Tangent}, a. 18. To lay a hand upon for curing disease. {To touch a sail} (Naut.), to bring it so close to the wind that its weather leech shakes. {To touch the wind} (Naut.), to keep the ship as near the wind as possible. {To touch up}, to repair; to improve by touches or emendation. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Touch \Touch\, v. i. 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. --Johnson. 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. (Naut) To be brought, as a sail, so close to the wind that its weather leech shakes. {To touch and go} (Naut.), to touch bottom lightly and without damage, as a vessel in motion. {To touch at}, to come or go to without tarrying; as the ship touched at Lisbon. {To touch on} or {upon}, to come or go to for a short time. [R.] I made a little voyage round the lake, and touched on the several towns that lie on its coasts. --Addison. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Touch \Touch\, n. [Cf. F. touche. See {Touch}, v. ] 1. The act of touching, or the state of being touched; contact Their touch affrights me as a serpent's sting. --Shak. 2. (Physiol.) 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}. The spider's touch, how exquisitely fine. --Pope. Note: Pure tactile feelings are necessarily rare since temperature sensations and muscular sensations are more or less combined with them The organs of touch are found chiefly in the epidermis of the skin and certain underlying nervous structures. 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.] `` Now do I play the touch.'' --Shak. 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. (Mus.) 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. 16. (Shipbilding) 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. --J. Knowles. 17. (Football) That part of the field which is beyond the line of flags on either side --Encyc. of Rural Sports. 18. A boys' game; tag. {In touch} (Football), outside of bounds. --T. Hughes. {To be in touch}, to be in contact or in sympathy. {To keep touch}. a To be true or punctual to a promise or engagement [Obs.]; hence to fulfill duly a function. My mind and senses keep touch and time. --Sir W. Scott. b To keep in contact to maintain connection or sympathy; -- with with or of {Touch and go}, a phrase descriptive of a narrow escape. {True as touch} (i. e., touchstone), quite true. [Obs.] From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: touch n 1: the event of something coming in contact with the body; "he longed for the touch of her hand"; "the cooling touch of the night air" [syn: {touching}] 2: the faculty of touch; "only sight and touch enable us to locate objects in the space around us" [syn: {sense of touch}, {skin senses}, {touch modality}, {cutaneous senses}] 3: a suggestion of some quality; "there was a touch of sarcasm in his tone"; "he detected a ghost of a smile on her face" [syn: {trace}, {ghost}] 4: a distinguishing style; "this room needs a woman's touch" [syn: {signature}] 5: the act of putting two things together with no space between them "at his touch the room filled with lights" [syn: {touching}] 6: a small but appreciable amount; "this dish could use a touch of garlic" [syn: {hint}, {mite}, {pinch}, {jot}, {speck}, {soupcon}] 7: a communicative interaction; "the pilot made contact with the base"; "he got in touch with his colleagues" [syn: {contact}] 8: a slight attack of illness; "he has a touch of rheumatism" [syn: {spot}] 9: the act of soliciting money (as a gift or loan); "he watched the beggar trying to make a touch" 10: the sensation produced by pressure receptors in the skin; "she likes the touch of silk on her skin"; "the surface had a greasy feeling" [syn: {touch sensation}, {tactual sensation}, {tactile sensation}, {feeling}] 11: deftness in handling matters; "he has a master's touch" 12: the feel of mechanical action: "this piano has a wonderful touch" v 1: make physical contact with come in contact with "Touch the stone for good luck"; "She never touched her husband"; "The two buildings almost touch" 2: perceive via the tactile sense 3: affect emotionally; "A stirring movie"; "I was touched by your kind letter of sympathy" [syn: {stir}] 4: be about have to do with be relevant to refer, pertain, or relate to "What's this novel all about?"; "There were lots of questions referring to her talk" [syn: {refer}, {pertain}, {relate}, {concern}, {come to}, {bear on}, {touch on}] 5: be in contact with [syn: {adjoin}, {meet}] 6: have an effect upon "Will the new rules affect me?" [syn: {affect}, {impact}, {bear upon}, {bear on}, {touch on}] 7: deal with usually used with a form of negation; "I wouldn't touch her with a ten-foot pole"; "The local Mafia won't touch gambling" 8: cause to be in brief contact with "He touched his toes to the horse's flanks" 9: to extend as far as "The sunlight reached the wall";"Can he reach?" [syn: {reach}, {extend to}] 10: be equal to in quality or ability; "Nothing can rival cotton for durability" [syn: {equal}, {rival}, {match}] 11: temper with "Don't touch my CDs!" [syn: {disturb}] 12: make a more or less disguised reference to "He alluded to the problem but did not mention it" [syn: {allude}, {advert}] 13: comprehend; "He could not touch the meaning of the poem" 14: touch, as of food; "She didn't touch her food all night" [syn: {partake}] 15: dye with a color [syn: {tint}, {tinct}, {bepaint}, {tinge}]
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