"touch on" meaning in English

See touch on in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Audio: En-au-touch on.ogg [Australia] Forms: touches on [present, singular, third-person], touching on [participle, present], touched on [participle, past], touched on [past], touch upon [alternative]
Head templates: {{en-verb|*}} touch on (third-person singular simple present touches on, present participle touching on, simple past and past participle touched on)
  1. (transitive, idiomatic) To mention briefly; to cursorily discuss. Tags: idiomatic, transitive Translations (mention briefly): անդրադառնալ (andradaṙnal) (Armenian), շոշափել (šošapʻel) (Armenian), 簡要提及 /简要提及 (jiǎnyào tíjí) (Chinese Mandarin), 粗略討論 /粗略讨论 (cūlüè tǎolùn) (Chinese Mandarin), 輕描淡寫 /轻描淡写 (qīngmiáodànxiě) (Chinese Mandarin), sivuta (Finnish), effleurer (French), évoquer (French), anreißen (German), singgung (Indonesian), tocar (Spanish), değinmek (Turkish), söz etmek (Turkish), yer vermek (Turkish)
    Sense id: en-touch_on-en-verb-8lXgsTh3 Disambiguation of 'mention briefly': 94 6
  2. (transitive, idiomatic) To come or go to for a short time. Tags: idiomatic, transitive Translations (come or go for a short time): 短暫來訪 /短暂来访 (duǎnzàn láifǎng) (Chinese Mandarin), 短時間到訪 /短时间到访 (duǎn shíjiān dàofǎng) (Chinese Mandarin), 順路拜訪 /顺路拜访 (shùnlù bàifǎng) (Chinese Mandarin), pistäytyä (Finnish), passer (French)
    Sense id: en-touch_on-en-verb-OwNtYQfg Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs formed with "on", Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Armenian translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Indonesian translations, Terms with Mandarin translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Turkish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 20 80 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs formed with "on": 26 74 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 14 86 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 42 58 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 22 78 Disambiguation of Terms with Armenian translations: 16 84 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 15 85 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 17 83 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 17 83 Disambiguation of Terms with Indonesian translations: 16 84 Disambiguation of Terms with Mandarin translations: 16 84 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 19 81 Disambiguation of Terms with Turkish translations: 17 83 Disambiguation of 'come or go for a short time': 2 98

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "touches on",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "touching on",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "touched on",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "touched on",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "touch upon",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "touch on (third-person singular simple present touches on, present participle touching on, simple past and past participle touched on)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              3,
              13
            ]
          ],
          "text": "We touched on the subject of wages, but we didn't reach a conclusion.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To mention briefly; to cursorily discuss."
      ],
      "id": "en-touch_on-en-verb-8lXgsTh3",
      "links": [
        [
          "mention",
          "mention"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, idiomatic) To mention briefly; to cursorily discuss."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "transitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "hy",
          "lang": "Armenian",
          "lang_code": "hy",
          "roman": "andradaṙnal",
          "sense": "mention briefly",
          "word": "անդրադառնալ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "hy",
          "lang": "Armenian",
          "lang_code": "hy",
          "roman": "šošapʻel",
          "sense": "mention briefly",
          "word": "շոշափել"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "lang_code": "cmn",
          "roman": "jiǎnyào tíjí",
          "sense": "mention briefly",
          "word": "簡要提及 /简要提及"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "lang_code": "cmn",
          "roman": "cūlüè tǎolùn",
          "sense": "mention briefly",
          "word": "粗略討論 /粗略讨论"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "lang_code": "cmn",
          "roman": "qīngmiáodànxiě",
          "sense": "mention briefly",
          "word": "輕描淡寫 /轻描淡写"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "lang_code": "fi",
          "sense": "mention briefly",
          "word": "sivuta"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "lang_code": "fr",
          "sense": "mention briefly",
          "word": "effleurer"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "lang_code": "fr",
          "sense": "mention briefly",
          "word": "évoquer"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "lang_code": "de",
          "sense": "mention briefly",
          "word": "anreißen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "id",
          "lang": "Indonesian",
          "lang_code": "id",
          "sense": "mention briefly",
          "word": "singgung"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "lang_code": "es",
          "sense": "mention briefly",
          "word": "tocar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "lang_code": "tr",
          "sense": "mention briefly",
          "word": "değinmek"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "lang_code": "tr",
          "sense": "mention briefly",
          "word": "söz etmek"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "94 6",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "lang_code": "tr",
          "sense": "mention briefly",
          "word": "yer vermek"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "20 80",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "26 74",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs formed with \"on\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 86",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "42 58",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "22 78",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "16 84",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Armenian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "15 85",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 83",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 83",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "16 84",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Indonesian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "16 84",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Mandarin translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "19 81",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "17 83",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Turkish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              43,
              53
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1705, J[oseph] Addison, Remarks on Several Parts of Italy, &c. in the Years 1701, 1702, 1703, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:",
          "text": "I made a little voyage round the lake, and touched on the several towns that lie on its coasts.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To come or go to for a short time."
      ],
      "id": "en-touch_on-en-verb-OwNtYQfg",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, idiomatic) To come or go to for a short time."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "transitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "lang_code": "cmn",
          "roman": "duǎnzàn láifǎng",
          "sense": "come or go for a short time",
          "word": "短暫來訪 /短暂来访"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "lang_code": "cmn",
          "roman": "duǎn shíjiān dàofǎng",
          "sense": "come or go for a short time",
          "word": "短時間到訪 /短时间到访"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "lang_code": "cmn",
          "roman": "shùnlù bàifǎng",
          "sense": "come or go for a short time",
          "word": "順路拜訪 /顺路拜访"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "lang_code": "fi",
          "sense": "come or go for a short time",
          "word": "pistäytyä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "lang_code": "fr",
          "sense": "come or go for a short time",
          "word": "passer"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-touch on.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8a/En-au-touch_on.ogg/En-au-touch_on.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/En-au-touch_on.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "touch on"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English phrasal verbs",
    "English phrasal verbs formed with \"on\"",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Armenian translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Indonesian translations",
    "Terms with Mandarin translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Turkish translations"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "touches on",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "touching on",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "touched on",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "touched on",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "touch upon",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "touch on (third-person singular simple present touches on, present participle touching on, simple past and past participle touched on)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              3,
              13
            ]
          ],
          "text": "We touched on the subject of wages, but we didn't reach a conclusion.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To mention briefly; to cursorily discuss."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "mention",
          "mention"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, idiomatic) To mention briefly; to cursorily discuss."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              43,
              53
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1705, J[oseph] Addison, Remarks on Several Parts of Italy, &c. in the Years 1701, 1702, 1703, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:",
          "text": "I made a little voyage round the lake, and touched on the several towns that lie on its coasts.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To come or go to for a short time."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, idiomatic) To come or go to for a short time."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-touch on.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8a/En-au-touch_on.ogg/En-au-touch_on.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/En-au-touch_on.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "hy",
      "lang": "Armenian",
      "lang_code": "hy",
      "roman": "andradaṙnal",
      "sense": "mention briefly",
      "word": "անդրադառնալ"
    },
    {
      "code": "hy",
      "lang": "Armenian",
      "lang_code": "hy",
      "roman": "šošapʻel",
      "sense": "mention briefly",
      "word": "շոշափել"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "lang_code": "cmn",
      "roman": "jiǎnyào tíjí",
      "sense": "mention briefly",
      "word": "簡要提及 /简要提及"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "lang_code": "cmn",
      "roman": "cūlüè tǎolùn",
      "sense": "mention briefly",
      "word": "粗略討論 /粗略讨论"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "lang_code": "cmn",
      "roman": "qīngmiáodànxiě",
      "sense": "mention briefly",
      "word": "輕描淡寫 /轻描淡写"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "lang_code": "fi",
      "sense": "mention briefly",
      "word": "sivuta"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "lang_code": "fr",
      "sense": "mention briefly",
      "word": "effleurer"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "lang_code": "fr",
      "sense": "mention briefly",
      "word": "évoquer"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "lang_code": "de",
      "sense": "mention briefly",
      "word": "anreißen"
    },
    {
      "code": "id",
      "lang": "Indonesian",
      "lang_code": "id",
      "sense": "mention briefly",
      "word": "singgung"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "lang_code": "es",
      "sense": "mention briefly",
      "word": "tocar"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "lang_code": "tr",
      "sense": "mention briefly",
      "word": "değinmek"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "lang_code": "tr",
      "sense": "mention briefly",
      "word": "söz etmek"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "lang_code": "tr",
      "sense": "mention briefly",
      "word": "yer vermek"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "lang_code": "cmn",
      "roman": "duǎnzàn láifǎng",
      "sense": "come or go for a short time",
      "word": "短暫來訪 /短暂来访"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "lang_code": "cmn",
      "roman": "duǎn shíjiān dàofǎng",
      "sense": "come or go for a short time",
      "word": "短時間到訪 /短时间到访"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "lang_code": "cmn",
      "roman": "shùnlù bàifǎng",
      "sense": "come or go for a short time",
      "word": "順路拜訪 /顺路拜访"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "lang_code": "fi",
      "sense": "come or go for a short time",
      "word": "pistäytyä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "lang_code": "fr",
      "sense": "come or go for a short time",
      "word": "passer"
    }
  ],
  "word": "touch on"
}

Download raw JSONL data for touch on meaning in English (4.8kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-07-25 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-07-06 using wiktextract (d9fa233 and 9e92f4b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.