TOUCH, verb transitive tuch. [Latin tango, originally tago, [our vulgar tag.] preterit tense tetigi, participle passive tactus.]

1. To come in contact with; to hit or strike against.

He touched the hollow of his thigh. Genesis 32:25. Matthew 9:21.

Esther drew near, and touched the top of the scepter. Esther 5:2.

2. To perceive by the sense of feeling.

Nothing but body can be touch'd or touch

3. To come to; to reach; to attain to.

The god vindictive doom'd them never more,

Ah men unbless'd! to touch that natal shore.

4. To try, as gold with a stone.

Wherein I mean to touch your love indeed--

5. To relate to; to concern.

The quarrel toucheth none but thee alone.

[This sense is now nearly obsolete.]

6. To handle slightly.

7. To meddle with. I have not touched the books.

8. To affect.

What of sweet

Hath touch'd my sense, flat seems to this.

9. To move; to soften; to melt.

The tender sire was touch'd with what he said.

10. To mark or delineate slightly.

The lines, though touch'd but faintly--

11. To infect; as men touched with pestilent diseases. [Little used.]

12. To make an impression on.

Its face must be--so hard that the file will not touch it.

13. To strike, as an instrument of music; to play on.

They touch'd their golden harps.

14. To influence by impulse; to impel forcibly.

No decree of mine,

To touch with lightest moment of impulse

His free will.

15. To treat slightly. In his discourse, he barely touched upon the subject deemed the most interesting.

16. To afflict or distress. Genesis 26:29.

To touch up, to repair; or to improve by slight touches or emendations.

To touch the wind, in seamen's language, is to keep the ship as near the wind as possible.

TOUCH, verb intransitive tuch. To be in contact with; to be in a state of junction, so that no space is between. Two spheres touch only at points.

1. To fasten on; to take effect on.

Strong waters will touch upon gold, that will not touch silver.

2. To treat of slightly in discourse.

To touch at, to come or go to, without stay.

The ship touched at Lisbon.

The next day we touched at Sidon. Acts 27:3. touch on or upon, to mention slightly.

If the antiquaries have touched upon it, they have immediately quitted it.

1. In the sense of touch at. [Little used.]

TOUCH, noun tuch. Contact; the hitting of two bodies; the junction of two bodies at the surface, so that there is no space between them. The mimosa shrinks at the slightest touch

1. The sense of feeling; one of the five senses. We say, a thing is cold or warm to the touch; silk is soft to the touch

The spider's touch how exquisitely fine!

2. The act of touching. The touch of cold water made him shrink.

3. The state of being touched.

--That never touch was welcome to thy hand

Unless I touch'd.

4. Examination by a stone.

5. Test; that by which any thing is examined.

Equity, the true touch of all laws.

6. Proof; tried qualities.

My friends of noble touch

7. Single act of a pencil on a picture.

Never give the least touch with your pencil, till you have well examined your design.

8. Feature; lineament.

Of many faces, eyes and hearts,

To have the touches dearest priz'd.

9. Act of the hand on a musical instrument.

Soft stillness and the night

Become the touches of sweet harmony.

10. Power of exciting the affections.

Not alone

The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches,

Do strongly speak t'us.

11. Something of passion of affection.

He both makes intercession to God for sinners, and exercises dominion over all men, with a true, natural and sensible touch of mercy.

12. Particular application of any thing to a person.

Speech of touch towards others should be sparingly used.

13. A stroke; as a touch of raillery; a satiric touch

14. Animadversion; censure; reproof.

I never bore any touch of conscience with greater regret.

15. Exact performance of agreement.

I keep touch with my promise.

16. A small quantity intermixed.

Madam, I have a touch of your condition.

17. A hint; suggestion; slight notice.

A small touch will put him in mind of them.

18. A cant word for a slight essay.

Print my preface in such forms, in the bookseller's phrase, will make a sixpenny touch [Not in use.]

19. In music, the resistance of the keys of an instrument to the fingers; as a heavy touch or light touch

20. In music, an organ is said to have a good touch or stop, when the keys close well.

21. In ship-building, touch is the broadest part of a plank worked top and butt; or the middle of a plank worked anchor-stock fashion; also, the angles of the stern timbers at the counters.