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 ]

☞ 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 ]

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 ]

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 ]

a. Capable of being touched; tangible. -- Touch"a*ble*ness, n. [1913 Webster]

n. (Football) The act of touching the football down by a player behind his own goal line when it received its last impulse from an opponent; -- distinguished from safety touchdown. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A box containing lighted tinder, formerly carried by soldiers who used matchlocks, to kindle the match. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Football) The act of touching the football down behind the opponents' goal; also the score (6 points) resulting from such a play. [ 1913 Webster ]

Safety touchdown. See under Safety. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The vent of a cannon or other firearm, by which fire is communicateed to the powder of the charge. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a touchy manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being touchy; peevishness; irritability; irascibility. [ 1913 Webster ]