Sekirov Dictionary

touch

/tʌt͡ʃ/

verb 36
noun 25
forms 8
phrases 20

verb36

•
to put a hand, a finger or some other part of the body against someone or something
- I touched his face softly.
•
To come into (involuntary) contact with; to meet or intersect.
- Sitting on the bench, the hem of her skirt touched the ground.
•
To come into physical contact, or to be in physical contact.
- They stood next to each other, their shoulders touching.
•
To make physical contact with a thing.
- Please can I have a look, if I promise not to touch?
•
To cause to be briefly in physical contact with something.
- He quickly touched his knee to the worn marble.
- The demonstrator nearly touched the rod on the ball.
•
To affect emotionally; to bring about tender or painful feelings in.
- Stefan was touched by the song's message of hope.
•
To begin to consume, or otherwise use.
- Are you all right? You've hardly touched your lunch.
•
To deal with in speech or writing; briefly to speak or write (on or upon something).
- 'Well, but since we have touched upon this business, and for the last time I hope,' continued the doctor, 'there is one point I should like you to understand.[…]' — 1886
•
To make intimate physical contact with a person.
- The man was arrested for touching a girl without her consent.
•
[with oneself] (euphemistic) To sexually excite with the fingers; to finger or masturbate.
- Her parents had caught her touching herself when she was fifteen.
•
(euphemistic) To have sexual intercourse with
- Tell me the truth, did you touch her?
•
To physically disturb; to interfere with, molest, or attempt to harm through contact.
- If you touch her, I'll kill you.
•
To engage with, to be involved with.
- I wouldn't touch that with a ten-foot pole.
•
To imbue or endow with a specific quality.
- My grandfather, as many people know, was touched with greatness.
•
(old-fashioned) To affect in a negative way, especially only slightly.
- He had been drinking over lunch, and was clearly touched.
•
To physically affect in specific ways implied by context.
- Frankly, this wood's so strong that sandpaper won't touch it.
•
To be on the level of; to approach in excellence or quality.
- 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. — 1928
•
To come close to; to approach.
- On Sunday afternoon it was as dark as night, with barely room for two riders abreast on a gradient that touches 20%. — 2012
•
To disturb the mental functions of; to make somewhat insane; often followed with "in the head".
- You must be touched if you think I'm taking your advice.
•
To concern, to have to do with.
- Men of Israhell take hede to youreselves what ye entende to do as touchinge these men. — 1526
Of a ship or its passengers: to land, to make a short stop (at).
•
(slang) To obtain money from, usually by borrowing (from a friend).
- I was running short, so I touched old Bertie for a fiver.
To mark (a file or document) as having been modified.
•
To mark or delineate with touches; to add a slight stroke to with the pencil or brush.
- The lines, though touched but faintly, are drawn right. — 1711
•
To strike; to manipulate; to play on.
- [They] touched their golden harps. — 1667
•
To perform, as a tune; to play.
- A person in the royal retinue touched a light and lively air on the flageolet. — 1814
•
(historical) To lay hands on (someone suffering from scrofula) as a form of cure, as formerly practised by English and French monarchs.
- But in fact the English kings of the seventeenth century usually began to touch from the day of their accession, without waiting for any such consecration. — 1971
To bring (a sail) so close to the wind that its weather leech shakes.
To be brought, as a sail, so close to the wind that its weather leech shakes.
To keep the ship as near (the wind) as possible.
•
To give royal assent to by touching it with the sceptre.
- The bill was finally touched after many hours of deliberation.
•
To try; to prove, as with a touchstone.
- I mean to touch your love indeed. — 1603
•
To influence by impulse; to impel forcibly.
- No decree of mine,[…][to] touch with lightest moment of impulse his free will. — 1667
(no longer used) To deal with in speech or writing; to mention briefly, to allude to.
•
(no longer used) To infect; to affect slightly.
- Hee was touched with great Remorse — 1622
•
(no longer used) To fasten; to take effect; to make impression.
- Strong waters pierce metals, and will touch upon gold, that will not touch upon silver. — 1627

noun25

•
An act of touching, especially with the hand or finger.
- Suddenly, in the crowd, I felt a touch at my shoulder.
•
A disposal of the ball during a game, i.e. a kick or a handball.
- With just six touches, small forward Daniel Rioli was uncharacteristically quiet against Melbourne, although he did lay five tackles. — 2019
•
A little bit; a small amount.
- Move it left just a touch and it will be perfect.
- I'd like to see a touch more enthusiasm in the project.
•
A relationship of close communication or understanding.
- He promised to keep in touch while he was away.
•
A distinguishing feature or characteristic.
- Clever touches like this are what make her such a brilliant writer.
•
A single stroke on a drawing or a picture.
- Never give the least touch with your pencil till you have well examined your design. — 1695
•
The faculty or sense of perception by physical contact.
- With the lights out, she had to rely on touch to find her desk.
•
The ability to perform a task well; aptitude.
- I used to be a great chess player but I've lost my touch.
•
Form; standard of performance.
- Jackson Hately, Isaac Cumming and Nick Shipley have been in great touch in the NEAFL. — 2019
•
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.
The particular or characteristic mode of action, or the resistance of the keys of an instrument to the fingers.
•
The part of a sports field beyond the touchlines or goal-lines.
- He got the ball, and kicked it straight out into touch.
•
(slang) An act of borrowing or stealing something; a request for money.
- But towards evening I got a touch at a cove's suck, and eased him of twenty-two quids and a lil, which I took in the usual manner, when he was entering the inn door. — 1821
(Australia) touch football (a variant of rugby league that does not involve tackling)
The children's game of tag.
(slang) The extent to which a person is interested or affected; the amount of outlay on something.
A set of changes less than the total possible on seven bells, i.e. less than 5,040.
(UK, old-fashioned) Tallow.
•
The broadest part of a plank worked top and but, 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.
- Set off the exact Length forward and aftward from the Observation of the rising of the Keel, by Shipwrights called the Touch, or Place where the Keel's upper Part ends to be streight. — 1711
•
(no longer used) Act or power of exciting emotion.
- Not alone / The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches, / Do strongly speak to us. — 1606
(no longer used) An emotion or affection.
•
(no longer used) Examination or trial by some decisive standard; test; proof; tried quality.
- equity, the true touch of all laws — 1609
•
(no longer used) Personal reference or application.
- Speech of touch toward others should be sparingly used. — 1625
•
(no longer used) A touchstone; hence, stone of the sort used for touchstone.
- Now do I play the touch. — 1593
•
(no longer used) A brief essay.
- Print my preface in such form as, in the booksellers' phrase, will make a sixpenny touch. — 1713

forms

touch'd · touched · toucht · touchedst · touching · touches · toucheth · touchest

Phrases with touch

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