Touch - Definition

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]