touch

I touched his face softly.

While thus she spake, / She toucht his eye-lashes with libant lip / And breath'd ambrosial odours; […]

1803, Walter Savage Landor, “Book VI”, in Gebir; a Poem: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Slatter and Munday; and sold by R. S. Kirby, […], →OCLC, page 107:

(transitive) To make physical contact with; to bring the hand, finger or other part of the body into contact with.

Sitting on the bench, the hem of her skirt touched the ground.

(transitive) To come into (involuntary) contact with; to meet or intersect.

To come into (involuntary) contact with; to meet or intersect.

They stood next to each other, their shoulders touching.

(intransitive) To come into physical contact, or to be in physical contact.

To come into physical contact, or to be in physical contact.

Please can I have a look, if I promise not to touch?

(intransitive) To make physical contact with a thing.

Primarily physical senses.
To make physical contact with a thing.

If you touch her, I'll kill you.

Let us make a covenant with thee, that thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 27:28-29:

(transitive) To physically disturb; to interfere with, molest, or attempt to harm through contact.

The man was arrested for touching a girl without her consent.

(transitive) To make intimate physical contact with a person.

To make intimate physical contact with a person.

Her parents had caught her touching herself when she was fifteen.

(transitive or reflexive) To sexually excite with the fingers; to finger or masturbate.

To sexually excite with the fingers; to finger or masturbate.

He quickly touched his knee to the worn marble.

The demonstrator nearly touched the rod on the ball.

She touched her lips to the glass.

(transitive) To cause to be briefly in contact with something.

To cause to be briefly in contact with something.

Frankly, this wood's so strong that sandpaper won't touch it.

(transitive) To physically affect in specific ways implied by context.

To physically affect in specific ways implied by context.

Are you all right? You've hardly touched your lunch.

But Richmond[…]appeared to lose himself in his own reflections. Some pickled crab, which he had not touched, had been removed with a damson pie; and his sister saw[…]that he had eaten no more than a spoonful of that either.

1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 1, in The Unknown Ajax:

(transitive) To begin to consume, or otherwise use.

Primarily physical senses.
To begin to consume, or otherwise use.

Now a certain grand merchant ship once touched at Rokovoko, and its commander — from all accounts, a very stately punctilious gentleman, at least for a sea captain — this commander was invited to the wedding feast of Queequeg's sister, a pretty young princess just turned of ten.

1851 November 14, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC:

(intransitive) Of a ship or its passengers: to land, to make a short stop (at).

Of a ship or its passengers: to land, to make a short stop (at).

But in fact the English kings of the seventeenth century usually began to touch form the day of their accession, without waiting for any such consecration.

1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society, published 2012, page 189:

(transitive, now historical) To lay hands on (someone suffering from scrofula) as a form of cure, as formerly practised by English and French monarchs.

Strong waters pierce metals, and will touch upon gold, that will not touch upon silver.

1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC:

(intransitive, obsolete) To fasten; to take effect; to make impression.

To fasten; to take effect; to make impression.

(nautical) To bring (a sail) so close to the wind that its weather leech shakes.

To bring (a sail) so close to the wind that its weather leech shakes.

(intransitive, nautical) To be brought, as a sail, so close to the wind that its weather leech shakes.

to touch the wind

(nautical) To keep the ship as near (the wind) as possible.

To keep the ship as near (the wind) as possible.

This year, J. Allen Collier, the artistic director and producer, invited choreographers to create dance pieces exploring the multi-faceted responses to the AIDS crisis. This thematic unity touched the show with additional solemnity and grace.

1988 April 9, Vicki Gabriner, “Dancing for the Living and the Dead”, in Gay Community News, page 6:

My grandfather, as many people know, was touched with greatness.

(transitive) To imbue or endow with a specific quality.

To imbue or endow with a specific quality.

Next to sorrow still I may annex such accidents as procure fear; for besides those terrors which I have before touched, […] there is a superstitious fear […] which much trouble many of us.

(transitive, archaic) To deal with in speech or writing; to mention briefly, to allude to.

To deal with in speech or writing; to mention briefly, to allude to.

"Well, but since we have touched upon this business, and for the last time I hope," continued the doctor, "there is one point I should like you to understand."

1886 January 5, Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC:

(intransitive) To deal with in speech or writing; briefly to speak or write (on or upon something).

Men of Israhell take hede to youreselves what ye entende to do as touchinge these men.

1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Acts:

The stories did not seem to me to touch life. They were plainly intended to have a bracing moral effect, and perhaps had this result for the people at whom they were aimed. They left me with the impression of a well-delivered stereopticon lecture, with characters about as life-like as the shadows on the screen, and whisking on and off, at the mercy of the operator.

1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter I, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

And now it seemed he was engaged in something which touched them closely, but must be hidden from their knowledge.

1919, Saki, ‘The Penance’, The Toys of Peace, Penguin 2000 (Complete Short Stories), page 423

(transitive) To concern, to have to do with.

Primarily non-physical senses.
To concern, to have to do with.

If you are so fond over her iniquity, give her patent
to offend, for if it touch not you, it comes near
nobody.

c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:

Stefan was touched by the song's message of hope.

(transitive) To affect emotionally; to bring about tender or painful feelings in.

To affect emotionally; to bring about tender or painful feelings in.

He had been drinking over lunch, and was clearly touched.

(transitive, dated) To affect in a negative way, especially only slightly.

To affect in a negative way, especially only slightly.

The bill was finally touched after many hours of deliberation.

(transitive, Scottish history) To give royal assent to by touching it with the sceptre.

To give royal assent to by touching it with the sceptre.

I was running short, so I touched old Bertie for a fiver.

(transitive, slang) To obtain money from, usually by borrowing (from a friend).

To obtain money from, usually by borrowing (from a friend).

You must be touched if you think I'm taking your advice.

(transitive, always passive) To disturb the mental functions of; to make somewhat insane; often followed with "in the head".

There was his mistress, Maria Morano. I don't think I've ever seen anything to touch her, and when you work for the screen [as I do] you're apt to have a pretty exacting standard of female beauty.

1928, Dorothy L. Sayers, “The Abominable History of the Man with Copper Fingers”, in Lord Peter Views the Body:

'Lind Arden was a great genius, one of the greatest tragic actresses in the world. As Lady Macbeth, as Magda, there was no one to touch her.'

1934, Agatha Christie, chapter 6, in Murder on the Orient Express, London: HarperCollins, published 2017, page 118:

(transitive, in negative constructions) To be on the level of; to approach in excellence or quality.

To be on the level of; to approach in excellence or quality.

On Sunday afternoon it was as dark as night, with barely room for two riders abreast on a gradient that touches 20%.

2012 July 15, Richard Williams, Tour de France 2012: Carpet tacks cannot force Bradley Wiggins off track, Guardian Unlimited:

(transitive) To come close to; to approach.

Primarily non-physical senses.
To come close to; to approach.

(transitive, computing) To mark (a file or document) as having been modified.

To mark (a file or document) as having been modified.

I mean to touch your love indeed.

c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]:

The lines, though touched but faintly, are drawn right.

1711 May, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Criticism, London: […] W[illiam] Lewis […]; and sold by W[illiam] Taylor […], T[homas] Osborn[e] […], and J[ohn] Graves […], →OCLC:

To mark or delineate with touches; to add a slight stroke to with the pencil or brush.

Hee was touched with great Remorse

1622, Francis, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban [i.e. Francis Bacon], The Historie of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh, […], London: […] W[illiam] Stansby for Matthew Lownes, and William Barret, →OCLC:

(obsolete) To infect; to affect slightly.

to touch an instrument of music

[They] touched their golden harps.

1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

A person in the royal retinue touched a light and lively air on the flageolet.

1814 July 7, [Walter Scott], Waverley; or, ’Tis Sixty Years Since. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC:

No decree of mine,[…][to] touch with lightest moment of impulse his free will.

1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

To influence by impulse; to impel forcibly.

en-verb

touch (third-person singular simple present touches, present participle touching, simple past and past participle touched)

touches (present singular third-person)
touching (participle present)
touched (participle past)
touched (past)
touch (infinitive)

not touch something with a ten-foot pole

From Middle English touchen, tochen, from Old French tochier (“to touch”) (whence Modern French toucher; compare French doublet toquer (“to offend, bother, harass”)), from Vulgar Latin *tuccō (“to knock, strike, offend”), from Frankish *tukkōn (“to knock, strike, touch”), from Proto-Germanic *tukkōną (“to tug, grab, grasp”), from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to draw, pull, lead”). Displaced native Middle English rinen, from Old English hrīnan (whence Modern English rine).
Cognates
Cognate with Old High German zochhōn, zuhhōn (“to grasp, take, seize, snatch”) (whence German zucken (“to jerk, flinch”)), German Low German tucken, tocken (“to fidget, twitch, pull up, entice, throb, knock, repeatedly tap”), Middle Dutch tocken, tucken (“to touch, entice”) (whence Dutch tokkelen (“to strum, pluck”)), Old English tucian, tūcian (“to disturb, mistreat”) (whence Modern English tuck). Compare also Old High German tokkōn, tockōn (“to abut, collide”). Outside Germanic, cognate to Albanian cek (“to touch”), Old Church Slavonic тъкнѫти (tŭknǫti). More at tuck, take.

der

Vulgar Latin *tuccō (“to knock, strike, offend”)

Frankish *tukkōn (“to knock, strike, touch”)

Proto-Germanic *tukkōną (“to tug, grab, grasp”)

Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to draw, pull, lead”)


touch

Suddenly, in the crowd, I felt a touch at my shoulder.

An act of touching, especially with the hand or finger.

With the lights out, she had to rely on touch to find her desk.

The faculty or sense of perception by physical contact.

He performed one of Ravel's piano concertos with a wonderfully light and playful touch.

The style or technique with which one plays a musical instrument.

a heavy touch, or a light touch

(music) The particular or characteristic mode of action, or the resistance of the keys of an instrument to the fingers.

Clever touches like this are what make her such a brilliant writer.

A distinguishing feature or characteristic.

Move it left just a touch and it will be perfect.

I'd like to see a touch more enthusiasm in the project.

Madam, I have a touch of your condition.

c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv]:

In another example, there are a few touches of white above the eye, and a white postocular stripe, which becomes quite broad where it terminates on the side of the neck.

1886, “The Masked Bob-white (Colinus ridgewayi) of Arizona, and its Allies”, in Joel Asaph Allen, editor, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, American Museum of Natural History, page 282:

We had looked forward to four or five days' work in Ying-shan similar to that in Yün-mung, but at the end of our two days' walk from the one city to the other (they lie more than fifty miles apart), Mr. Terrell had a touch of fever, so we judged it best to remain in Ying-shan only for a day and then travel as quickly as possible by chair to Teh-ngan to consult our good friend, Dr. Morley, of the Wesleyan Mission Hospital in that city, and from thence take boat for Hankow....

1894, “From Month to Month”, in The Chronicle of the London Missionary Society, number 33, Readers Union, →OCLC, page 220:

He got the ball, and kicked it straight out into touch.

The part of a sports field beyond the touchlines or goal-lines.

He promised to keep in touch while he was away.

lose touch

A relationship of close communication or understanding.

I used to be a great chess player but I've lost my touch.

Rovers' hopes of pulling off one of the great European shocks of all time lasted just 10 minutes before Spurs finally found their scoring touch.

2011 September 29, Jon Smith, “Tottenham 3 - 1 Shamrock Rovers”, in BBC Sport:

The ability to perform a task well; aptitude.

Not alone / The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches, / Do strongly speak to us.

c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:

(obsolete) Act or power of exciting emotion.

a true, natural, and a sensible touch of mercy

1594–1597, Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

Speech of touch toward others should be sparingly used.

1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Discourse”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:

(obsolete) Personal reference or application.

Never give the least touch with your pencil till you have well examined your design.

A single stroke on a drawing or a picture.

Print my preface in such form as, in the booksellers' phrase, will make a sixpenny touch.

1713, A Preface to Bishop Burnet's Introduction, Jonathan Swift:

Now do I play the touch.

c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:

a neat new monument of touch and alabaster

1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI):

(obsolete) A touchstone; hence, stone of the sort used for touchstone.

equity, the true touch of all laws

1609, Richard Carew, The Survey of Cornwall. […], new edition, London: […] B. Law, […]; Penzance, Cornwall: J. Hewett, published 1769, →OCLC:

friends of noble touch

c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:

(obsolete) Examination or trial by some decisive standard; test; proof; tried quality.

Set off the exact Length forward and aftward from the Observation of the rising of the Keel, by Shipwrights called the Touch, or Place where the Keel's upper Part ends to be streight.

1711, William Sutherland, The Ship-Builder's Assistant:

(shipbuilding) The broadest part of a plank worked top and but, 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.

(bell-ringing) A set of changes less than the total possible on seven bells, i.e. less than 5,040.

But towards evening I got a touch at a cove's suck, and eased him of twenty-two quids and a lil, which I took in the usual manner, when he was entering the inn door.

1821, David Haggart, Life of David Haggart, 2nd edition, Edinburgh: James Ballantyne & Co, page 105:

Supposedly Pickle has a line on a group of wealthy donors who were about to make a big drop on Chuy's campaign, now that he is in the runoff. I ask Pickle about the timing of this donation because Crawford and I are about to put the touch on the campaign for another five grand.

2017, Mike Houlihan, Nothin's On The Square: 82 Days on the Mayoral Campaign:

Brody would have to pay her, so if all else failed she would have some control. She would have sex on her terms, not his. She would give him the relief he craved, and also relieve him of 500 quid while she was at it. A sweet little touch to keep her ahead of the game.

2023, Jo Draxler, A Single Breath of Air:

(slang) An act of borrowing or stealing something; a request for money.

Such was Tim Whiffle on the Sunday, with the addition of a cane to indicate riding, it is true he had long had a penchant to a pair of spurs but did not as yet sport them, although a half crown touch at some livery stables was positively decided upon in his own mind, though hitherto the dread of a fall from a horse had prevented the execution of his magnanimous plan.

1804, William Henry Ireland, The Woman of Feeling, volume 2, page 232:

(slang) The extent to which a person is interested or affected; the amount of outlay on something.

2019 In the mix: Who's pushing for selection for round seven? Australian Football League, 30 April 2019. Accessed 6 May 2019.
Jackson Hately, Isaac Cumming and Nick Shipley have been in great touch in the NEAFL.

2019 In the mix: Who's pushing for selection for round seven? Australian Football League, 30 April 2019. Accessed 6 May 2019.
With just six touches, small forward Daniel Rioli was uncharacteristically quiet against Melbourne, although he did lay five tackles.

Australian rules football
Australian rules football

(Australian rules football) A disposal of the ball during a game, i.e. a kick or a handball.

(chiefly Australia) touch football (a variant of rugby league that does not involve tackling)

en-noun

touch (countable and uncountable, plural touches)