touch

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Verb 1.3.1 Derived terms 1.3.2 Translations 1.4 Noun 1.4.1 Derived terms 1.4.2 Translations 1.5 Anagrams

[edit] English

Wikipedia

[edit] Etymology

From Middle English touchen, tochen from Old French tochier (modern French toucher, cf French doublet toquer "to offend"), from Vulgar Latin unattested form *toccare "to knock, strike, offend", of Germanic origin, from Proto-Germanic *tukk-, tukkian- (“‘to jerk, knock, strike, offend’”), influenced by proximity to similar forms from Proto-Germanic *tek-, tēk- (“‘to touch’”). Akin to Old High German zochhōn "to grasp, seize", Old High German zuchôn "to jerk, tug", Middle Low German tucken "to tug", Old Dutch tocken "to entice", Old English tucian, tūcian "to mistreat, disturb, torment", Gothic tekan "to touch", Old Norse taka "to touch, grasp", Old English tacan "to touch, take". More at tuck, take

[edit] Pronunciation

• enPR: tûch, IPA: /tʌʧ/, SAMPA: /tVtS/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

  Rhymes: -ʌtʃ

[edit] Verb

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

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

   I touched her face softly.

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

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

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

   They stood next to each other, their shoulders touching.

4. (intransitive) To make physical contact with a thing.

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

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

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

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

   If you touch her, I'll kill you.

7. (transitive) To consume, or otherwise use.

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

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

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

9. (transitive) To steal, or obtain money; to borrow money from.

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

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

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

11. (transitive) To concern, to have a bearing on.

    Stay out of this, it doesn't touch you in any way.

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

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

13. (transitive) To disturb the mental functions of; to make somewhat insane.

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

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

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

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

    The bill was finally touched after many hours of deliberation.

16. (transitive) To be on the level of.
    • 1928, Dorothy L. Sayers, "The Abominable History of the Man with Copper Fingers", in Lord Peter Views the Body,

      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.

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Translations

[edit] Noun

touch (plural touches)

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

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

2. The faculty or sense of perception by physical contact.

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

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

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

4. A distinguishing feature or characteristic.

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

5. A little bit; a small amount.

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

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

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

7. A relationship of close communication or understanding.

   He promised to keep in touch while he was away.

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Translations