touch (t ch)v. touched, touch·ing, touch·es v.tr.1. To cause or permit a part of the body, especially the hand or fingers, to come in contact with so as to feel: reached out and touched the smooth stone. 2. a. To bring something into light contact with: touched the sore spot with a probe. b. To bring (one thing) into light contact with something else: grounded the radio by touching a wire to it; touching fire to a fuse. 3. To press or push lightly; tap: touched a control to improve the TV picture; touched 19 on the phone to get room service. 4. To lay hands on in violence: I never touched him! 5. To eat or drink; taste: She didn't touch her food. 6. To disturb or move by handling: Just don't touch anything in my room! 7. a. To meet without going beyond; adjoin: the ridge where his property touches mine. b. Mathematics To be tangent to. c. To come up to; reach: when the thermometer touches 90°. d. To match in quality; equal: Rival artists can't touch her work at its best. 8. To deal with, especially in passing; treat briefly or allusively: some remarks touching recent events. 9. To be pertinent to; concern: environmental problems that touch us all. 10. To affect the emotions of; move to tender response: an appeal that touched us deeply. 11. To injure slightly: plants touched by frost. 12. To color slightly; tinge: a white petal touched with pink. 13. a. To draw with light strokes. b. To change or improve by adding fine lines or strokes. 14. To stamp (tested metal). 15. Slang To wheedle a loan or handout from: touched a friend for five dollars. 16. a. Archaic To strike or pluck the keys or strings of (a musical instrument). b. To play (a musical piece). v.intr.1. To touch someone or something. 2. To be or come into contact: Don't let the live wires touch. n.1. The act or an instance of touching. 2. The physiological sense by which external objects or forces are perceived through contact with the body. 3. A sensation experienced in touching something with a characteristic texture: felt the touch of snowflakes on her face. 4. A light push; a tap: an electric switch that requires just a touch. 5. A discernible mark or effect left by contact with something. 6. A small change or addition, or the effect achieved by it: Candlelight provided just the right touch. 7. A suggestion, hint, or tinge: a touch of jealousy. 8. A mild attack: a touch of the flu. 9. A small amount; a dash: a touch of paprika. 10. a. A manner or technique of striking the keys of a keyboard instrument: He played briskly with a light touch. b. The resistance to pressure characteristic of the keys of a keyboard: an old piano with uneven touch. 11. An ability to propel a ball a desired distance: a golfer with no touch around the green. 12. A facility; a knack: retained his touch as a carpenter in his retirement. 13. A characteristic way of doing things: recognized my friend's touch in the choice of the card. 14. The state of being in contact or communication: kept in touch with several classmates; out of touch with current trends. 15. An official stamp indicating the quality of a metal product. 16. Slang a. The act of approaching someone for a loan or handout. b. A prospect for a loan or handout: a generous person, a soft touch for beggars. 17. Sports The area just outside the sidelines in soccer or just outside and including the sidelines in Rugby. Phrasal Verbs: touch down To make contact with the ground; land: The spacecraft touched down on schedule. touch off1. To cause to explode; fire. 2. To initiate; trigger: disclosures that touched off a public uproar. 3. To describe or portray with deft precision. touch on/upon1. To deal with (a topic) in passing. 2. To pertain to; concern. 3. To approach being; verge on: frenzy that touched on clinical insanity. touch up To improve by making minor corrections, changes, or additions. Idiom: touch base/bases Informal To renew a line of communication: "He went out of his way to touch base with a broad cross section of . . . residents" George B. Merry.
[Middle English touchen, from Old French touchier, ultimately from Vulgar Latin *tocc re.]
touch a·ble adj. toucha·ble·ness n. toucher n. Synonyms: touch, feel, finger, handle, palpate1, paw These verbs mean to bring the hands or fingers into contact with so as to give or receive a physical sensation: gently touched my hand; felt the runner's pulse; fingered the worry beads; handle a bolt of fabric; palpates the patient's abdomen; fans who pawed the celebrity's arm. See Also Synonyms at affect1. |
touch Verb 1. to cause or permit a part of the body to come into contact with (someone or something): the baking tin is too hot to touch 2. to tap, feel, or strike (someone or something): he touched me on the shoulder 3. to come or bring (something) into contact with (something else): the plane's wheels touched the runway 4. to move or disturb by handling: we shouldn't touch anything before the police arrive 5. to have an effect on: millions of people's lives had been touched by the music of the Beatles 6. to produce an emotional response in: the painful truth of it touched her 7. to eat or drink: she hardly ever touched alcohol 8. to compare to in quality or attainment; equal or match: nothing can touch them for scope and detail 9. Brit, Austral & NZ slang to ask (someone) for a loan or gift of money 10. to fondle in a sexual manner: I wouldn't let him touch me unless I was in the mood 11. to strike, harm, or molest: I never touched him! 12. touch on or upon to allude to briefly or in passing: these two issues may be touched upon during the talks Noun 1. the sense by which the texture and other qualities of objects can be experienced when they come in contact with a part of the body surface, esp. the tips of the fingers Related adjective tactile 2. the feel or texture of an object as perceived by this sense: she enjoyed the touch of the damp grass on her feet 3. the act or an instance of something coming into contact with the body: he remembered the touch of her hand 4. a gentle push, tap, or caress: the switch takes only the merest touch to operate 5. a small amount; trace: a touch of luxury 6. a particular manner or style of doing something: his songs always reveal his keen melodic touch 7. a detail of some work: final touches were now being put to the plans 8. a slight attack: a touch of dysentery 9. (in sports such as football or rugby) the area outside the lines marking the side of the pitch: he kicked the ball into touch 10. the technique of fingering a keyboard instrument 11. a touch slightly or marginally: it's nice, but a touch expensive 12. in touch a. regularly speaking to, writing to, or visiting someone b. having up-to-date knowledge or understanding of a situation or trend 13. lose touch a. to gradually stop speaking to, writing to, or visiting someone b. to stop having up-to-date knowledge or understanding of a situation or trend 14. out of touch a. no longer speaking to, writing to, or visiting someone b. no longer having up-to-date knowledge or understanding of a situation or trend
Touchan abnormal fear of touching or being touched. Also called thixophobia. involuntary response or reaction to the touch of outside objects or bodies, as in motile cells. — thigmotaetic, adj. haptophobia.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. |  touch - the event of something coming in contact with the body; "he longed for the touch of her hand"; "the cooling touch of the night air"impinging, striking, contact - the physical coming together of two or more things; "contact with the pier scraped paint from the hull" | | 2. |  touch - the faculty by which external objects or forces are perceived through contact with the body (especially the hands); "only sight and touch enable us to locate objects in the space around us"exteroception - sensitivity to stimuli originating outside of the body somatosense - any of the sensory systems that mediate sensations of pressure and tickle and warmth and cold and vibration and limb position and limb movement and pain | | 3. |  touch - a suggestion of some quality; "there was a touch of sarcasm in his tone"; "he detected a ghost of a smile on her face" | | 4. |  touch - a distinguishing style; "this room needs a woman's touch"fashion, manner, mode, style, way - how something is done or how it happens; "her dignified manner"; "his rapid manner of talking"; "their nomadic mode of existence"; "in the characteristic New York style"; "a lonely way of life"; "in an abrasive fashion" common touch - the property of appealing to people in general (usually by appearing to have qualities in common with them) | | 5. |  touch - the act of putting two things together with no space between them; "at his touch the room filled with lights"hitting, striking, hit - the act of contacting one thing with another; "repeated hitting raised a large bruise"; "after three misses she finally got a hit" jab, dig - the act of touching someone suddenly with your finger or elbow; "she gave me a sharp dig in the ribs" kiss - a light glancing touch; "there was a brief kiss of their hands in passing" snap, grab, snatch, catch - the act of catching an object with the hands; "Mays made the catch with his back to the plate"; "he made a grab for the ball before it landed"; "Martin's snatch at the bridle failed and the horse raced away"; "the infielder's snap and throw was a single motion" handling, manipulation - the action of touching with the hands (or the skillful use of the hands) or by the use of mechanical means fingering - touching something with the fingers grope - the act of groping; and instance of groping palpation, tactual exploration - a method of examination in which the examiner feels the size or shape or firmness or location of something (of body parts when the examiner is a health professional) tag - (sports) the act of touching a player in a game (which changes their status in the game) lick, lap - touching with the tongue; "the dog's laps were warm and wet" | | 6. |  touch - a slight but appreciable amount; "this dish could use a touch of garlic"snuff - a pinch of smokeless tobacco inhaled at a single time | | 7. |  touch - a communicative interaction; "the pilot made contact with the base"; "he got in touch with his colleagues"communicating, communication - the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information; "they could not act without official communication from Moscow" | | 8. |  touch - a slight attack of illness; "he has a touch of rheumatism"attack - a sudden occurrence of an uncontrollable condition; "an attack of diarrhea" | | 9. |  touch - the act of soliciting money (as a gift or loan); "he watched the beggar trying to make a touch"solicitation - an entreaty addressed to someone of superior status; "a solicitation to the king for relief" | | 10. |  touch - the sensation produced by pressure receptors in the skin; "she likes the touch of silk on her skin"; "the surface had a greasy feeling"creepiness - an uneasy sensation as of insects creeping on your skin | | 11. |  touch - deftness in handling matters; "he has a master's touch" | | 12. |  touch - the feel of mechanical action; "this piano has a wonderful touch" | | Verb | 1. |  touch - make physical contact with, come in contact with; "Touch the stone for good luck"; "She never touched her husband"engage - get caught; "make sure the gear is engaged" touch - cause to be in brief contact with; "He touched his toes to the horse's flanks" pick up - take up by hand; "He picked up the book and started to read" strike, hit - produce by manipulating keys or strings of musical instruments, also metaphorically; "The pianist strikes a middle C"; "strike `z' on the keyboard"; "her comments struck a sour note" finger, thumb - feel or handle with the fingers; "finger the binding of the book" feel - pass one's hands over the sexual organs of; "He felt the girl in the movie theater" palpate, feel - examine (a body part) by palpation; "The nurse palpated the patient's stomach"; "The runner felt her pulse" palm, handle - touch, lift, or hold with the hands; "Don't handle the merchandise" stroke - touch lightly and repeatedly, as with brushing motions; "He stroked his long beard" brush - touch lightly and briefly; "He brushed the wall lightly" skim, skim over - move or pass swiftly and lightly over the surface of hit - deal a blow to, either with the hand or with an instrument; "He hit her hard in the face" strike - deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon; "The teacher struck the child"; "the opponent refused to strike"; "The boxer struck the attacker dead" buss, kiss, snog, osculate - touch with the lips or press the lips (against someone's mouth or other body part) as an expression of love, greeting, etc.; "The newly married couple kissed"; "She kissed her grandfather on the forehead when she entered the room" kiss - touch lightly or gently; "the blossoms were kissed by the soft rain" mouth - touch with the mouth press - exert pressure or force to or upon; "He pressed down on the boards"; "press your thumb on this spot" tag - touch a player while he is holding the ball touch down - come or bring (a plane) to a landing; "the plane touched down at noon" | | 2. |  touch - perceive via the tactile sense; "Helen Keller felt the physical world by touching people and objects around her"perceive, comprehend - to become aware of through the senses; "I could perceive the ship coming over the horizon" | | 3. |  touch - affect emotionally; "A stirring movie"; "I was touched by your kind letter of sympathy"impress, strike, affect, move - have an emotional or cognitive impact upon; "This child impressed me as unusually mature"; "This behavior struck me as odd" get - evoke an emotional response; "Brahms's `Requiem' gets me every time" | | 4. | touch - be relevant to; "There were lots of questions referring to her talk"; "My remark pertained to your earlier comments"allude, advert, touch - make a more or less disguised reference to; "He alluded to the problem but did not mention it" go for, apply, hold - be pertinent or relevant or applicable; "The same laws apply to you!"; "This theory holds for all irrational numbers"; "The same rules go for everyone" involve, regard, affect - connect closely and often incriminatingly; "This new ruling affects your business" | | 5. |  touch - be in direct physical contact with; make contact; "The two buildings touch"; "Their hands touched"; "The wire must not contact the metal cover"; "The surfaces contact at this point"cling, cohere, adhere, cleave, stick - come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation; "The dress clings to her body"; "The label stuck to the box"; "The sushi rice grains cohere" attach - be attached; be in contact with hug - fit closely or tightly; "The dress hugged her hips" converge, meet - be adjacent or come together; "The lines converge at this point" | | 6. |  touch - have an effect upon; "Will the new rules affect me?"alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue" strike a blow - affect adversely; "The court ruling struck a blow at the old segregation laws" repercuss - cause repercussions; have an unwanted effect tell on - produce an effect or strain on somebody; "Each step told on his tired legs" redound - have an effect for good or ill; "Her efforts will redound to the general good" stimulate, excite - act as a stimulant; "The book stimulated her imagination"; "This play stimulates" process, treat - subject to a process or treatment, with the aim of readying for some purpose, improving, or remedying a condition; "process cheese"; "process hair"; "treat the water so it can be drunk"; "treat the lawn with chemicals" ; "treat an oil spill" tinge, color, colour, distort - affect as in thought or feeling; "My personal feelings color my judgment in this case"; "The sadness tinged his life" hit, strike - affect or afflict suddenly, usually adversely; "We were hit by really bad weather"; "He was stricken with cancer when he was still a teenager"; "The earthquake struck at midnight" subject - cause to experience or suffer or make liable or vulnerable to; "He subjected me to his awful poetry"; "The sergeant subjected the new recruits to many drills"; "People in Chernobyl were subjected to radiation" act upon, influence, work - have and exert influence or effect; "The artist's work influenced the young painter"; "She worked on her friends to support the political candidate" slam-dunk - make a forceful move against; "the electronic travel market is slam-dunking traditional travel agencies" | | 7. |  touch - deal with; usually used with a form of negation; "I wouldn't touch her with a ten-foot pole"; "The local Mafia won't touch gambling"handle, manage, care, deal - be in charge of, act on, or dispose of; "I can deal with this crew of workers"; "This blender can't handle nuts"; "She managed her parents' affairs after they got too old" | | 8. |  touch - cause to be in brief contact with; "He touched his toes to the horse's flanks"touch - make physical contact with, come in contact with; "Touch the stone for good luck"; "She never touched her husband" | | 9. |  touch - to extend as far as; "The sunlight reached the wall"; "Can he reach?" "The chair must not touch the wall"be - occupy a certain position or area; be somewhere; "Where is my umbrella?" "The toolshed is in the back"; "What is behind this behavior?" | | 10. |  touch - be equal to in quality or ability; "Nothing can rival cotton for durability"; "Your performance doesn't even touch that of your colleagues"; "Her persistence and ambition only matches that of her parents"equalise, equalize, equate, equal, match - make equal, uniform, corresponding, or matching; "let's equalize the duties among all employees in this office"; "The company matched the discount policy of its competitors" compete, vie, contend - compete for something; engage in a contest; measure oneself against others | | 11. |  touch - tamper with; "Don't touch my CDs!"alter, change, modify - cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue" upset - disturb the balance or stability of; "The hostile talks upset the peaceful relations between the two countries" violate - destroy; "Don't violate my garden"; "violate my privacy" | | 12. |  touch - make a more or less disguised reference to; "He alluded to the problem but did not mention it" | | 13. |  touch - comprehend; "He could not touch the meaning of the poem"understand - know and comprehend the nature or meaning of; "She did not understand her husband"; "I understand what she means" | | 14. |  touch - consume; "She didn't touch her food all night"ingest, consume, have, take in, take - serve oneself to, or consume regularly; "Have another bowl of chicken soup!"; "I don't take sugar in my coffee" receive - partake of the Holy Eucharist sacrament | | 15. |  touch - color lightly; "her greying hair was tinged blond"; "the leaves were tinged red in November"henna - apply henna to one's hair; "She hennas her hair every month" tincture - stain or tint with a color; "The leaves were tinctured with a bright red" complexion - give a certain color to; "The setting sun complexioned the hills" |
touch verb 1. feel, handle, finger, stroke, brush, make contact with, graze, caress, fondle, lay a finger on, palpate verb 2. come into contact, meet, contact, border, brush, come together, graze, adjoin, converge, be in contact, abut, impinge upon noun 10. contact, push, stroke, brush, press, tap, poke, nudge, prod, caress, fondling noun 12. bit, spot, trace, drop, taste, suggestion, hint, dash, suspicion, pinch, smack, small amount, tinge, whiff, jot, speck, smattering, intimation, tincture noun 16. skill, ability, flair, art, facility, command, craft, mastery, knack, artistry, virtuosity, deftness, adroitness noun 17. influence, hand, effect, management, direction >> touch and go risky, close, near, dangerous, critical, tricky, sticky ( informal) hazardous, hairy ( slang) precarious, perilous, nerve-racking, parlous touch on or upon something refer to, cover, raise, deal with, mention, bring in, speak of, hint at, allude to, broach, make allusions to touch something off 1. trigger (off), start, begin, cause, provoke, set off, initiate, arouse, give rise to, ignite, stir up, instigate, spark off, set in motion, foment touch something up  Translations touch [tʌtʃ] n ( sense) → tacto (= contact); contacto; to get in touch with sb → ponerse en contacto con algn; I'll be in touch → le llamaré/escribiré; to be out of touch with events → no estar al corriente (de los acontecimientos); touch on vt fus [+ topic] → aludir (brevemente) a
 touch [tʌtʃ] n → contact m, toucher m (= sense, skill) [ of pianist etc] → toucher ( fig) (= note), ( also Football) → touche fthe personal touch → la petite note personnelle; to put the finishing touches to sth → mettre la dernière main à qch; I'll be in touch → je resterai en contact;
 touch [tʌtʃ] n (= sense of touch) → Gefühl nt; the personal touch → die persönliche Note; touch on touch vt fus [+ topic] → berühren
 touch [tʌtʃ] n → tocco; to lose touch [ friends] → perdersi di vista; I'll be in touch → mi farò sentire; to put the finishing touches to sth → dare gli ultimi ritocchi a qc
|
|
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
Add definition
touch
