touch meaning and definition

TOUCH noun

Definition of touch (noun)

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"
   • synonyms: 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"
   • synonyms: cutaneous senses, sense of touch, skin senses, touch modality
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"
   • synonyms: ghost, trace
4. a distinguishing style
   • "this room needs a woman's touch"
   • synonyms: signature
5. the act of putting two things together with no space between them
   • "at his touch the room filled with lights"
   • synonyms: touching
6. a slight but appreciable amount
   • "this dish could use a touch of garlic"
   • synonyms: hint, jot, mite, pinch, soupcon, speck, tinge
7. a communicative interaction
   • "the pilot made contact with the base"; "he got in touch with his colleagues"
   • synonyms: contact
8. a slight attack of illness
   • "he has a touch of rheumatism"
   • synonyms: 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"
    • synonyms: feeling, tactile sensation, tactual sensation, touch sensation
11. deftness in handling matters
    • "he has a master's touch"
12. the feel of mechanical action
    • "this piano has a wonderful touch"

TOUCH verb

Definition of touch (verb)

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"
   • synonyms: stir
4. be relevant to
   • "There were lots of questions referring to her talk"; "My remark pertained to your earlier comments"
   • synonyms: bear on, come to, concern, have-to doe with, pertain, refer, relate, touch on
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"
   • synonyms: adjoin, contact, meet
6. have an effect upon
   • "Will the new rules affect me?"
   • synonyms: affect, bear on, bear upon, impact, touch on
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"
   • synonyms: extend to, reach
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"
    • synonyms: equal, match, rival
11. tamper with
    • "Don't touch my CDs!"
    • synonyms: disturb
12. make a more or less disguised reference to
    • "He alluded to the problem but did not mention it"
    • synonyms: advert, allude
13. comprehend
    • "He could not touch the meaning of the poem"
14. consume
    • "She didn't touch her food all night"
    • synonyms: partake
15. color lightly
    • "her greying hair was tinged blond"; "the leaves were tinged red in November"
    • synonyms: tinct, tinge, tint