touch: meaning and definitions

To cause or permit a part of the body, especially the hand or fingers, to come in contact with so as to feel: reached out and touched the smooth stone.

To bring something into light contact with: touched the sore spot with a probe.

To bring (one thing) into light contact with something else: grounded the radio by touching a wire to it; touching fire to a fuse.

To press or push lightly; tap: touched a control to improve the TV picture; touched 19 on the phone to get room service.

To lay hands on in violence: I never touched him!

To eat or drink; taste: She didn't touch her food.

To disturb or move by handling: Just don't touch anything in my room!

To meet without going beyond; adjoin: the ridge where his property touches mine.

Mathematics To be tangent to.

To come up to; reach: when the thermometer touches 90°.

To match in quality; equal: Rival artists can't touch her work at its best.

To deal with, especially in passing; treat briefly or allusively: some remarks touching recent events.

To be pertinent to; concern: environmental problems that touch us all.

To affect the emotions of; move to tender response: an appeal that touched us deeply.

To injure slightly: plants touched by frost.

To color slightly; tinge: a white petal touched with pink.

To draw with light strokes.

To change or improve by adding fine lines or strokes.

To stamp (tested metal).

Slang To wheedle a loan or handout from: touched a friend for five dollars.

Archaic To strike or pluck the keys or strings of (a musical instrument).

To play (a musical piece).

To touch someone or something.

To be or come into contact: Don't let the live wires touch.

The act or an instance of touching.