| touch |
verb 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., To perceive by the sense of feeling., To come to; to reach; to attain to., To try; to prove, as with a touchstone., To relate to; to concern; to affect., To handle, speak of, or deal with; to treat of., To meddle or interfere with; as, I have not touched the books., To affect the senses or the sensibility of; to move; to melt; to soften., To mark or delineate with touches; to add a slight stroke to with the pencil or brush., To infect; to affect slightly., To make an impression on; to have effect upon., To strike; to manipulate; to play on; as, to touch an instrument of music., To perform, as a tune; to play., To influence by impulse; to impel forcibly., To harm, afflict, or distress., To affect with insanity, especially in a slight degree; to make partially insane; — rarely used except in the past participle., To be tangent to. See Tangent, a., To lay a hand upon for curing disease., To be in contact; to be in a state of junction, so that no space is between; as, two spheres touch only at points., To fasten; to take effect; to make impression., To treat anything in discourse, especially in a slight or casual manner; — often with on or upon., To be brought, as a sail, so close to the wind that its weather leech shakes., The act of touching, or the state of being touched; contact., 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., Act or power of exciting emotion., An emotion or affection., Personal reference or application., A stroke; as, a touch of raillery; a satiric touch; hence, animadversion; censure; reproof., A single stroke on a drawing or a picture., Feature; lineament; trait., The act of the hand on a musical instrument; bence, in the plural, musical notes., A small quantity intermixed; a little; a dash., A hint; a suggestion; slight notice., A slight and brief essay., A touchstone; hence, stone of the sort used for touchstone., Hence, examination or trial by some decisive standard; test; proof; tried quality., 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., 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., That part of the field which is beyond the line of flags on either side., A boys’ game; tag. |