v.
- come into or be in contact with.
▸come or bring into mutual contact.
▸bring one's hand or another part of one's body into contact with.
▸strike (a ball) lightly in a specified direction.
- harm or interfere with.
▸
[usu. with neg.]
consume or use (food, drink, money, etc.).
- have an effect on.
▸
[
with neg.]
have any dealings with:
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he took jobs that nobody else would touch.
- produce feelings of affection, gratitude, or sympathy in.
- informal reach (a specified level or amount).
▸
[usu. with neg.]
approach in excellence.
-
[as adj. touched]
informal slightly mad.
-
(touch someone for)
informal ask someone for (money) as a loan or gift.
-
(touch something in)
chiefly Art lightly mark in details with a brush or pencil.
n.
- an act of touching.
▸a musician's manner of playing keys or strings or the manner in which an instrument's keys or strings respond to being played.
▸a light stroke with a pen, pencil, etc.
- the faculty of perception through physical contact, especially with the fingers.
- a small amount.
- a distinctive detail or feature.
- a distinctive manner or method of dealing with something.
▸an ability to deal with something successfully.
- Rugby & Soccer the area beyond the sidelines, out of play.
- Bell-ringing a series of changes shorter than a peal.
- archaic a test of worth.
Phrase
- in touch
- in or into communication.
- possessing up-to-date knowledge.
- lose touch
- cease to be in communication.
- cease to be informed.
- out of touch
lacking up-to-date knowledge or awareness. - to the touch
when touched. - touch bottom
be at the lowest or worst point. - touch of the sun
a slight attack of sunstroke.
Phrase verbal
- touch at
(of a ship) call briefly at (a port). - touch down
- Rugby touch the ground with the ball behind the opponents' goal line, scoring a try.
- American Football score six points by being in possession of the ball behind the opponents' goal line.
- (of an aircraft or spacecraft) land.
- touch something off
- cause something to ignite or explode by touching it with a match.
▸cause something to happen suddenly.
- (of a racehorse) defeat another horse in a race by a short margin.
- touch on
(or upon)
- deal briefly with (a subject).
- come near to being.
- touch someone up
Brit. informal caress someone without their consent for sexual pleasure. - touch something up
make small improvements to something.
Derivative
Etymology
ME: the verb from OFr. tochier, prob. from a Romance word of imitative origin; the noun orig. from OFr. touche, later (in certain senses) directly from the verb.
