touch

verb

1》 come into or be in contact with.

    ↘come or bring into mutual contact.

    ↘bring one's hand or another part of one's body into contact with.

    ↘strike (a ball) lightly in a specified direction.

2》 harm or interfere with.

    ↘[usu. with negative] consume or use (food, drink, money, etc.).

3》 have an effect on.

    ↘[with negative] have any dealings with: he took jobs that nobody else would touch.

4》 produce feelings of affection, gratitude, or sympathy in.

5》 informal reach (a specified level or amount).

    ↘[usu. with negative] approach in excellence.

6》 [as adjective touched] informal slightly mad.

7》 (touch someone for) informal ask someone for (money) as a loan or gift.

8》 (touch something in) chiefly Art lightly mark in details with a brush or pencil.

noun

1》 an act of touching.

    ↘a musician's manner of playing keys or strings or the manner in which an instrument's keys or strings respond to being played.

    ↘a light stroke with a pen, pencil, etc.

2》 the faculty of perception through physical contact, especially with the fingers.

3》 a small amount.

4》 a distinctive detail or feature.

5》 a distinctive manner or method of dealing with something.

    ↘an ability to deal with something successfully.

6》 Rugby & Soccer the area beyond the sidelines, out of play.

7》 Bell-ringing a series of changes shorter than a peal.

8》 archaic a test of worth.

Phrases

in touch

1》 in or into communication.

2》 possessing up-to-date knowledge.

lose touch

1》 cease to be in communication.

2》 cease to be informed.

out of touch lacking up-to-date knowledge or awareness.

to the touch when touched.

touch bottom be at the lowest or worst point.

touch of the sun a slight attack of sunstroke.

Phrasal verbs

touch at (of a ship) call briefly at (a port).

touch down

1》 Rugby touch the ground with the ball behind the opponents' goal line, scoring a try.

2》 American Football score six points by being in possession of the ball behind the opponents' goal line.

3》 (of an aircraft or spacecraft) land.

touch something off

1》 cause something to ignite or explode by touching it with a match.

    ↘cause something to happen suddenly.

2》 (of a racehorse) defeat another horse in a race by a short margin.

touch on (or upon)

1》 deal briefly with (a subject).

2》 come near to being.

touch someone up Brit. informal caress someone without their consent for sexual pleasure.

touch something up make small improvements to something.

Derivatives

touchable adjective

Origin

ME: the verb from OFr. tochier, prob. from a Romance word of imitative origin; the noun orig. from OFr. touche, later (in certain senses) directly from the verb.