Search Result for "touch": 
Wordnet 3.0

NOUN (12)

1. the event of something coming in contact with the body;
- Example: "he longed for the touch of her hand"
- Example: "the cooling touch of the night air"
[syn: touch, touching]

2. the faculty by which external objects or forces are perceived through contact with the body (especially the hands);
- Example: "only sight and touch enable us to locate objects in the space around us"
[syn: touch, sense of touch, skin senses, touch modality, cutaneous senses]

3. a suggestion of some quality;
- Example: "there was a touch of sarcasm in his tone"
- Example: "he detected a ghost of a smile on her face"
[syn: touch, trace, ghost]

4. a distinguishing style;
- Example: "this room needs a woman's touch"
[syn: touch, signature]

5. the act of putting two things together with no space between them;
- Example: "at his touch the room filled with lights"
[syn: touch, touching]

6. a slight but appreciable amount;
- Example: "this dish could use a touch of garlic"
[syn: touch, hint, tinge, mite, pinch, jot, speck, soupcon]

7. a communicative interaction;
- Example: "the pilot made contact with the base"
- Example: "he got in touch with his colleagues"
[syn: contact, touch]

8. a slight attack of illness;
- Example: "he has a touch of rheumatism"
[syn: touch, spot]

9. the act of soliciting money (as a gift or loan);
- Example: "he watched the beggar trying to make a touch"

10. the sensation produced by pressure receptors in the skin;
- Example: "she likes the touch of silk on her skin"
- Example: "the surface had a greasy feeling"
[syn: touch, touch sensation, tactual sensation, tactile sensation, feeling]

11. deftness in handling matters;
- Example: "he has a master's touch"

12. the feel of mechanical action;
- Example: "this piano has a wonderful touch"


VERB (15)

1. make physical contact with, come in contact with;
- Example: "Touch the stone for good luck"
- Example: "She never touched her husband"

2. perceive via the tactile sense;
- Example: "Helen Keller felt the physical world by touching people and objects around her"

3. affect emotionally;
- Example: "A stirring movie"
- Example: "I was touched by your kind letter of sympathy"
[syn: touch, stir]

4. be relevant to;
- Example: "There were lots of questions referring to her talk"
- Example: "My remark pertained to your earlier comments"
[syn: refer, pertain, relate, concern, come to, bear on, touch, touch on, have-to doe with]

5. be in direct physical contact with; make contact;
- Example: "The two buildings touch"
- Example: "Their hands touched"
- Example: "The wire must not contact the metal cover"
- Example: "The surfaces contact at this point"
[syn: touch, adjoin, meet, contact]

6. have an effect upon;
- Example: "Will the new rules affect me?"
[syn: affect, impact, bear upon, bear on, touch on, touch]

7. deal with; usually used with a form of negation;
- Example: "I wouldn't touch her with a ten-foot pole"
- Example: "The local Mafia won't touch gambling"

8. cause to be in brief contact with;
- Example: "He touched his toes to the horse's flanks"

9. to extend as far as;
- Example: "The sunlight reached the wall"
- Example: "Can he reach?"
- Example: "The chair must not touch the wall"
[syn: reach, extend to, touch]

10. be equal to in quality or ability;
- Example: "Nothing can rival cotton for durability"
- Example: "Your performance doesn't even touch that of your colleagues"
- Example: "Her persistence and ambition only matches that of her parents"
[syn: equal, touch, rival, match]

11. tamper with;
- Example: "Don't touch my CDs!"
[syn: touch, disturb]

12. make a more or less disguised reference to;
- Example: "He alluded to the problem but did not mention it"
[syn: allude, touch, advert]

13. comprehend;
- Example: "He could not touch the meaning of the poem"

14. consume;
- Example: "She didn't touch her food all night"
[syn: partake, touch]

15. color lightly;
- Example: "her greying hair was tinged blond"
- Example: "the leaves were tinged red in November"
[syn: tint, tinct, tinge, touch]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Touch \Touch\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Touched; p. pr. & vb. n. Touching.] [F. toucher, OF. touchier, tuchier; of Teutonic origin; cf. OHG. zucchen, zukken, to twitch, pluck, draw, G. zukken, zukken, v. intens. fr. OHG. ziohan to draw, G. ziehen, akin to E. tug. See Tuck, v. t., Tug, and cf. Tocsin, Toccata.] 1. To come in contact with; to hit or strike lightly against; to extend the hand, foot, or the like, so as to reach or rest on. [1913 Webster] Him thus intent Ithuriel with his spear Touched lightly. --Milton. [1913 Webster] 2. To perceive by the sense of feeling. [1913 Webster] Nothing but body can be touched or touch. --Greech. [1913 Webster] 3. To come to; to reach; to attain to. [1913 Webster] The god, vindictive, doomed them never more Ah, men unblessed! -- to touch their natal shore. --Pope. [1913 Webster] 4. To try; to prove, as with a touchstone. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] Wherein I mean to touch your love indeed. --Shak. [1913 Webster] 5. To relate to; to concern; to affect. [1913 Webster] The quarrel toucheth none but us alone. --Shak. [1913 Webster] 6. To handle, speak of, or deal with; to treat of. [1913 Webster] Storial thing that toucheth gentilesse. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster] 7. To meddle or interfere with; as, I have not touched the books. --Pope. [1913 Webster] 8. To affect the senses or the sensibility of; to move; to melt; to soften; especially, to cause feelings of pity, compassion, sympathy, or gratitude in. [1913 Webster +PJC] What of sweet before Hath touched my sense, flat seems to this and harsh. --Milton. [1913 Webster] The tender sire was touched with what he said. --Addison. [1913 Webster] 9. To mark or delineate with touches; to add a slight stroke to with the pencil or brush. [1913 Webster] The lines, though touched but faintly, are drawn right. --Pope. [1913 Webster] 10. To infect; to affect slightly. --Bacon. [1913 Webster] 11. To make an impression on; to have effect upon. [1913 Webster] Its face . . . so hard that a file will not touch it. --Moxon. [1913 Webster] 12. To strike; to manipulate; to play on; as, to touch an instrument of music. [1913 Webster] [They] touched their golden harps. --Milton. [1913 Webster] 13. To perform, as a tune; to play. [1913 Webster] A person is the royal retinue touched a light and lively air on the flageolet. --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster] 14. To influence by impulse; to impel forcibly. " No decree of mine, . . . [to] touch with lightest moment of impulse his free will," --Milton. [1913 Webster] 15. To harm, afflict, or distress. [1913 Webster] Let us make a covenant with thee, that thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee. --Gen. xxvi. 28, 29. [1913 Webster] 16. To affect with insanity, especially in a slight degree; to make partially insane; -- rarely used except in the past participle. [1913 Webster] She feared his head was a little touched. --Ld. Lytton. [1913 Webster] 17. (Geom.) To be tangent to. See Tangent, a. [1913 Webster] 18. To lay a hand upon for curing disease. [1913 Webster] 19. To compare with; to be equal to; -- usually with a negative; as, he held that for good cheer nothing could touch an open fire. [Colloq.] [Webster 1913 Suppl.] 20. To induce to give or lend; to borrow from; as, to touch one for a loan; hence, to steal from. [Slang] [Webster 1913 Suppl.] To touch a sail (Naut.), to bring it so close to the wind that its weather leech shakes. To touch the wind (Naut.), to keep the ship as near the wind as possible. To touch up, to repair; to improve by touches or emendation. [1913 Webster] [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Touch \Touch\, n. [Cf. F. touche. See Touch, v. ] 1. The act of touching, or the state of being touched; contact. [1913 Webster] Their touch affrights me as a serpent's sting. --Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. (Physiol.) The sense by which pressure or traction exerted on the skin is recognized; the sense by which the properties of bodies are determined by contact; the tactile sense. See Tactile sense, under Tactile. [1913 Webster] The spider's touch, how exquisitely fine. --Pope. [1913 Webster] Note: Pure tactile feelings are necessarily rare, since temperature sensations and muscular sensations are more or less combined with them. The organs of touch are found chiefly in the epidermis of the skin and certain underlying nervous structures. [1913 Webster] 3. Act or power of exciting emotion. [1913 Webster] Not alone The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches, Do strongly speak to us. --Shak. [1913 Webster] 4. An emotion or affection. [1913 Webster] A true, natural, and a sensible touch of mercy. --Hooker. [1913 Webster] 5. Personal reference or application. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] Speech of touch toward others should be sparingly used. --Bacon. [1913 Webster] 6. A stroke; as, a touch of raillery; a satiric touch; hence, animadversion; censure; reproof. [1913 Webster] I never bare any touch of conscience with greater regret. --Eikon Basilike. [1913 Webster] 7. A single stroke on a drawing or a picture. [1913 Webster] Never give the least touch with your pencil till you have well examined your design. --Dryden. [1913 Webster] 8. Feature; lineament; trait. [1913 Webster] Of many faces, eyes, and hearts, To have the touches dearest prized. --Shak. [1913 Webster] 9. The act of the hand on a musical instrument; bence, in the plural, musical notes. [1913 Webster] Soft stillness and the night Become the touches of sweet harmony. --Shak. [1913 Webster] 10. A small quantity intermixed; a little; a dash. [1913 Webster] Eyes La touch of Sir Peter Lely in them. --Hazlitt. [1913 Webster] Madam, I have a touch of your condition. --Shak. [1913 Webster] 11. A hint; a suggestion; slight notice. [1913 Webster] A small touch will put him in mind of them. --Bacon. [1913 Webster] 12. A slight and brief essay. [Colloq.] [1913 Webster] Print my preface in such form as, in the booksellers' phrase, will make a sixpenny touch. --Swift. [1913 Webster] 13. A touchstone; hence, stone of the sort used for touchstone. [Obs.] " Now do I play the touch." --Shak. [1913 Webster] A neat new monument of touch and alabaster. --Fuller. [1913 Webster] 14. Hence, examination or trial by some decisive standard; test; proof; tried quality. [1913 Webster] Equity, the true touch of all laws. --Carew. [1913 Webster] Friends of noble touch . --Shak. [1913 Webster] 15. (Mus.) The particular or characteristic mode of action, or the resistance of the keys of an instrument to the fingers; as, a heavy touch, or a light touch; also, the manner of touching, striking, or pressing the keys of a piano; as, a legato touch; a staccato touch. [1913 Webster] 16. (Shipbilding) The broadest part of a plank worked top and but (see Top and but, under Top, n.), 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. --J. Knowles. [1913 Webster] 17. (Football) That part of the field which is beyond the line of flags on either side. --Encyc. of Rural Sports. [1913 Webster] 18. A boys' game; tag. [1913 Webster] 19. (Change Ringing) A set of changes less than the total possible on seven bells, that is, less than 5,040. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] 20. An act of borrowing or stealing. [Slang] [Webster 1913 Suppl.] 21. Tallow; -- a plumber's term. [Eng.] [Webster 1913 Suppl.] In touch (a) (Football), outside of bounds. --T. Hughes. (b) in communication; communicating, once or repeatedly. To be in touch, (a) to be in contact, communication, or in sympathy. (b) to be aware of current events. To keep touch. (a) To be true or punctual to a promise or engagement [Obs.]; hence, to fulfill duly a function. [1913 Webster] My mind and senses keep touch and time. --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster] (b) To keep in contact; to maintain connection or sympathy; -- with with or of. Also to keep in touch. Touch and go, a phrase descriptive of a narrow escape. True as touch (i. e., touchstone), quite true. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Touch \Touch\, v. i. 1. To be in contact; to be in a state of junction, so that no space is between; as, two spheres touch only at points. --Johnson. [1913 Webster] 2. To fasten; to take effect; to make impression. [R.] [1913 Webster] Strong waters pierce metals, and will touch upon gold, that will not touch upon silver. --Bacon. [1913 Webster] 3. To treat anything in discourse, especially in a slight or casual manner; -- often with on or upon. [1913 Webster] If the antiquaries have touched upon it, they immediately quitted it. --Addison. [1913 Webster] 4. (Naut) To be brought, as a sail, so close to the wind that its weather leech shakes. [1913 Webster] To touch and go (Naut.), to touch bottom lightly and without damage, as a vessel in motion. To touch at, to come or go to, without tarrying; as, the ship touched at Lisbon. To touch on or To touch upon, (a) to come or go to for a short time. [R.] [1913 Webster] I made a little voyage round the lake, and touched on the several towns that lie on its coasts. --Addison. [1913 Webster] (b) to discuss briefly, as only a small part of a discourse. [PJC]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

touch n 1: 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" [syn: touch, touching] 2: 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" [syn: touch, sense of touch, skin senses, touch modality, cutaneous senses] 3: a suggestion of some quality; "there was a touch of sarcasm in his tone"; "he detected a ghost of a smile on her face" [syn: touch, trace, ghost] 4: a distinguishing style; "this room needs a woman's touch" [syn: touch, signature] 5: the act of putting two things together with no space between them; "at his touch the room filled with lights" [syn: touch, touching] 6: a slight but appreciable amount; "this dish could use a touch of garlic" [syn: touch, hint, tinge, mite, pinch, jot, speck, soupcon] 7: a communicative interaction; "the pilot made contact with the base"; "he got in touch with his colleagues" [syn: contact, touch] 8: a slight attack of illness; "he has a touch of rheumatism" [syn: touch, spot] 9: the act of soliciting money (as a gift or loan); "he watched the beggar trying to make a touch" 10: the sensation produced by pressure receptors in the skin; "she likes the touch of silk on her skin"; "the surface had a greasy feeling" [syn: touch, touch sensation, tactual sensation, tactile sensation, feeling] 11: deftness in handling matters; "he has a master's touch" 12: the feel of mechanical action; "this piano has a wonderful touch" v 1: make physical contact with, come in contact with; "Touch the stone for good luck"; "She never touched her husband" 2: perceive via the tactile sense; "Helen Keller felt the physical world by touching people and objects around her" 3: affect emotionally; "A stirring movie"; "I was touched by your kind letter of sympathy" [syn: touch, stir] 4: be relevant to; "There were lots of questions referring to her talk"; "My remark pertained to your earlier comments" [syn: refer, pertain, relate, concern, come to, bear on, touch, touch on, have-to doe with] 5: 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" [syn: touch, adjoin, meet, contact] 6: have an effect upon; "Will the new rules affect me?" [syn: affect, impact, bear upon, bear on, touch on, touch] 7: 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" 8: cause to be in brief contact with; "He touched his toes to the horse's flanks" 9: to extend as far as; "The sunlight reached the wall"; "Can he reach?" "The chair must not touch the wall" [syn: reach, extend to, touch] 10: 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" [syn: equal, touch, rival, match] 11: tamper with; "Don't touch my CDs!" [syn: touch, disturb] 12: make a more or less disguised reference to; "He alluded to the problem but did not mention it" [syn: allude, touch, advert] 13: comprehend; "He could not touch the meaning of the poem" 14: consume; "She didn't touch her food all night" [syn: partake, touch] 15: color lightly; "her greying hair was tinged blond"; "the leaves were tinged red in November" [syn: tint, tinct, tinge, touch]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

532 Moby Thesaurus words for "touch": ESP, Roman candle, ability, abut, access, adjoin, adroitness, affect, aid to navigation, alarm, alight, allegory, allude to, allusion, amber light, amount to, answer, answer to, appertain to, apply, apply to, apprehend, approach, arcane meaning, arouse, art, assumption, attouchement, background, background detail, balance, balefire, be aware of, be conscious of, be sensible of, beacon, beacon fire, beak, bear on, bear upon, beat the drum, beautify, beg, begin, bell, bell buoy, belong to, bit, blinker, blow, blue peter, border, borrow, break even, bring in, bring up, brush, brush by, bum, bunt, buoy, butt, cadge, cantando, capability, caress, carry, cast, cause, caution light, characteristic, chromesthesia, chuck, color hearing, coloration, coloring, come home to, come in contact, come near, come to, come together, come up to, commerce, communicate, communication, communion, compare with, concern, congress, connect, connection, connotation, consume, contact, contingence, conversation, converse, correspond, correspond to, correspondence, cover, dab, dash, deal with, dealing, dealings, decorative composition, decorative style, deftness, demilegato, design, detail, detonate, dexterity, dip, disturb, ditto, draw, drink, drop, eat, employ, enhance, equal, even, even off, examine, exchange, exchange colors, excite, execution, experience, expertise, expression, facility, feel, feel of, feeling, figure, fillip, finger, fingering, fire, five senses, flag, flag down, flair, flare, flash, flick, flip, flirt, float a loan, fog bell, fog signal, fog whistle, foghorn, foil, foment, fondle, foreground detail, form, genius, get, get a loan, get on credit, get to, gift, give a signal, give rise to, give the nod, glance, gleam, glissando, go deep, go light, go through one, gong buoy, graze, green light, grieve, hail, hail and speak, half-mast, hand, handle, hang, have connection with, hear, hearing, heliograph, high sign, hint, hit, hit one for, hit up, hoist a banner, idea, ignite, impassion, impinge, impingement, impingence, implication, implied meaning, import, impress, inference, influence, information, infusion, initiate, inkling, innuendo, inspect, inspire, instigate, interaction, interchange, intercommunication, intercommunion, intercourse, interest, interfere with, international alphabet flag, international numeral pennant, interplay, intimation, intonation, investigate, involve, ironic suggestion, join, jot, junction, keep pace with, kick, kiss, knack, knot, land, larceny, leer, legato, liaise with, lick, lift, light, line, linguistic intercourse, link with, look, make a sign, make use of, manner, march, marker beacon, match, match up with, meaning, measure up, measure up to, meddle with, meet, melt, melt the heart, mention, message, metaphorical sense, method, mezzo staccato, mooch, motif, move, movement, music-making, national style, negotiate a loan, neighbor, nod, nuance, nudge, occult meaning, odor, operation, ornamental motif, osculate, osculation, overtone, palm, palpate, palpation, panhandle, parachute flare, parallel, parlando, partake of, pass the hat, pat, patch up, pattern, paw, pawn, peck, penetrate, perceive, performance, period style, pertain to, phonism, photism, pianism, pick, pierce, pilot flag, pinch, pizzicato, ply, poke, poke at, police whistle, presumption, presupposition, probe, prod, provoke, purloining, put, put to use, quarantine flag, quicken, radio beacon, raise, raise a cry, raise money, rap, reach, receptor, red flag, red light, refer to, regard, relate to, rendering, rendition, renovate, repeated figure, repercussion, reply, respect, respond, respond to stimuli, response, responsiveness, retouch, rival, rocket, rub, rubato, run abreast, run into debt, run to, sadden, sailing aid, salute, sauce, scent, scintilla, scrape, scrounge, scrutinize, seasoning, see, semaphore, semaphore flag, semaphore telegraph, sense, sense organ, senses, sensillum, sensorium, sensory organ, set, set in motion, set off, setting, shade, shadow, shave, sideswipe, sight, sign, signal, signal beacon, signal bell, signal fire, signal flag, signal gong, signal gun, signal lamp, signal light, signal mast, signal post, signal rocket, signal shot, signal siren, signal tower, signalize, signature, sip, sixth sense, skill, skim, skirt, slur, smack, smart, smattering, smell, snap, social intercourse, soften, sound an alarm, sound the trumpet, soupcon, spar buoy, spark, speak, speaking, speck, speech, speech circuit, speech situation, spiccato, spice, spot, sprinkling, spruce up, squeak by, staccato, stack up with, start, steal, stealage, stealing, stimulate, sting, stir, stop light, streak, strike, stroke, style, subsense, subsidiary sense, suggestion, sup, supposition, suspicion, sway, symbolism, synesthesia, tactility, taction, taint, take, take advantage of, talent, talking, tangency, tap, taste, technique, telepathy, tempering, tentative contact, texture, the nod, the wink, theme, thievery, thieving, thought, thumb, tickle, tie, tie in with, tinct, tincture, tinge, tint, tip, titivate, touch a chord, touch down, touch off, touch on, touch up, touch upon, touching, toy with, trace, traffic, traffic light, traffic signal, treat of, trick, trigger, truck, twiddle, two-way communication, undercurrent, undermeaning, undertone, unfurl a flag, use, verge, verge on, vestige, watch fire, wave, wave a flag, wave the hand, way, whiff, whisk, white flag, wield, wigwag, wigwag flag, wink, yellow flag