retouch

English

Etymology

From French retoucher.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈtʌt͡ʃ/
• Rhymes: -ʌtʃ

Verb

retouch (third-person singular simple present retouches, present participle retouching, simple past and past participle retouched)

1. (transitive) To improve something (especially a photograph), by adding or correcting details, or by removing flaws.
   • a. 1701 (date written), John Dryden, “Epistle the Fourteenth. To Sir Godfrey Kneller, Principal Painter to His Majesty.”, in The Miscellaneous Works of John Dryden, […], volume II, London: […] J[acob] and R[ichard] Tonson, […], published 1760, →OCLC, page 201:

     For time ſhall with his ready pencil ſtand; / Retouch your figures with his ripening hand; / Mellow your colors, and imbrown the teint; / Add every grace, which time alone can grant; / To future ages ſhall your fame convey, / And give more beauties than he takes away.

2. (transitive) To colour the roots of hair to match hair previously coloured.
3. (archaeology) To modify a flint tool by making secondary flaking along the cutting edge.

Translations

to improve something, especially a photograph

• Bulgarian: ретуширам (retuširam)
• Dutch: retoucheren (nl)
• German: retuschieren (de)
• Hungarian: retusál (hu)
• Ido: retushar (io)
• Italian: ritoccare (it)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Polish: retuszować impf
• Portuguese: retocar (pt)
• Russian: ретуши́ровать (ru) impf (retušírovatʹ)
• Swedish: retuschera (sv)

Noun

retouch (plural retouches)

1. The act of retouching.

Translations

act of retouching

• Bulgarian: ретуширане n (retuširane)
• Catalan: retoc m
• German: Retusche (de) f
• Ido: retusho
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Polish: retusz (pl) m
• Portuguese: retoque m
• Romagnol: artóc m
• Russian: ре́тушь (ru) f (rétušʹ)

Anagrams

• Hectour, hectour, toucher