From Middle English touchen, tochen, from Old French tochier (“to touch”) (whence Modern French toucher; compare French doublet toquer (“to offend, bother, harass”)), from Vulgar Latin *tuccō (“to knock, strike, offend”), from Frankish *tukkōn (“to knock, strike, touch”), from Proto-Germanic *tukkōną (“to tug, grab, grasp”), from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to draw, pull, lead”). Largely displaced native Middle English rinen, from Old English hrīnan (whence Modern English rine). Doublet of tuck.
Cognates
Cognate with Old High German zochhōn, zuhhōn (“to grasp, take, seize, snatch”) (whence German zucken (“to jerk, flinch”)), German Low German tucken, tocken (“to fidget, twitch, pull up, entice, throb, knock, repeatedly tap”), Middle Dutch tocken, tucken (“to touch, entice”) (whence Dutch tokkelen (“to strum, pluck”)), Old English tucian, tūcian (“to disturb, mistreat”) (whence Modern English tuck). Compare also Old High German tokkōn, tockōn (“to abut, collide”). More at tuck.
Via Proto-Indo-European *dewk- cognate with English tie, tow, tug, team, Latin dūcō, dux.
Meanings
(countable, uncountable) An act of touching, especially with the hand or finger.
Suddenly, in the crowd, I felt a touch at my shoulder.
(countable, uncountable) The faculty or sense of perception by physical contact.
With the lights out, she had to rely on touch to find her desk.
(countable, uncountable) The style or technique with which one plays a musical instrument.
He performed one of Ravel's piano concertos with a wonderfully light and playful touch.
(countable, uncountable) The particular or characteristic mode of action, or the resistance of the keys of an instrument to the fingers.
a heavy touch, or a light touch
(countable, uncountable) A distinguishing feature or characteristic.
Clever touches like this are what make her such a brilliant writer.
(countable, uncountable) A little bit; a small amount.
Madam, I have a touch of your condition. c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv]:
I'd like to see a touch more enthusiasm in the project.
Move it left just a touch and it will be perfect.
In another example, there are a few touches of white above the eye, and a white postocular stripe, which becomes quite broad where it terminates on the side of the neck. 1886, “The Masked Bob-white (Colinus ridgewayi) of Arizona, and its Allies”, in Joel Asaph Allen, editor, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, American Museum of Natural History, page 282:
We had looked forward to four or five days' work in Ying-shan similar to that in Yün-mung, but at the end of our two days' walk from the one city to the other (they lie more than fifty miles apart), Mr. Terrell had a touch of fever, so we judged it best to remain in Ying-shan only for a day and then travel as quickly as possible by chair to Teh-ngan to consult our good friend, Dr. Morley, of the Wesleyan Mission Hospital in that city, and from thence take boat for Hankow.... 1894, “From Month to Month”, in The Chronicle of the London Missionary Society, number 33, Readers Union, →OCLC, page 220:
(countable, uncountable) The part of a sports field beyond the touchlines or goal-lines.
He got the ball, and kicked it straight out into touch.
(in set phrases, uncountable) A relationship of close communication or understanding.
lose touch
He promised to keep in touch while he was away.
(countable, uncountable) The ability to perform a task well; aptitude.
I used to be a great chess player but I've lost my touch.
Rovers' hopes of pulling off one of the great European shocks of all time lasted just 10 minutes before Spurs finally found their scoring touch. 2011 September 29, Jon Smith, “Tottenham 3 - 1 Shamrock Rovers”, in BBC Sport:
(countable, obsolete, uncountable) Act or power of exciting emotion.
Not alone / The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches, / Do strongly speak to us. c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
(countable, obsolete, uncountable) An emotion or affection.
a true, natural, and a sensible touch of mercy [1594], Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Iohn Windet, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page):
(countable, obsolete, uncountable) Personal reference or application.
Speech of touch toward others should be sparingly used. 1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Discourse”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC:
(countable, uncountable) A single stroke on a drawing or a picture.
Never give the least touch with your pencil till you have well examined your design. 1695, John Dryden, The Art of Painting:
(countable, obsolete, uncountable) A brief essay.
Print my preface in such form as, in the booksellers' phrase, will make a sixpenny touch. 1713, A Preface to Bishop Burnet's Introduction, Jonathan Swift:
(countable, obsolete, uncountable) A touchstone; hence, stone of the sort used for touchstone.
Now do I play the touch. c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:
a neat new monument of touch and alabaster 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI):
(countable, obsolete, uncountable) Examination or trial by some decisive standard; test; proof; tried quality.
equity, the true touch of all laws 1609, Richard Carew, The Survey of Cornwall, London: […] S[imon] S[tafford] for Iohn Iaggard, […], →OCLC:
friends of noble touch c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
(countable, uncountable) The broadest part of a plank worked top and but, 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.
Set off the exact Length forward and aftward from the Observation of the rising of the Keel, by Shipwrights called the Touch, or Place where the Keel's upper Part ends to be streight. 1711, William Sutherland, The Ship-Builder's Assistant:
(countable, uncountable) The children's game of tag.
(countable, qualifier:bell-ringing, uncountable) A set of changes less than the total possible on seven bells, i.e. less than 5,040.
(countable, slang, uncountable) An act of borrowing or stealing something; a request for money.
Brody would have to pay her, so if all else failed she would have some control. She would have sex on her terms, not his. She would give him the relief he craved, and also relieve him of 500 quid while she was at it. A sweet little touch to keep her ahead of the game. 2023, Jo Draxler, A Single Breath of Air:
Supposedly Pickle has a line on a group of wealthy donors who were about to make a big drop on Chuy's campaign, now that he is in the runoff. I ask Pickle about the timing of this donation because Crawford and I are about to put the touch on the campaign for another five grand. 2017, Mike Houlihan, Nothin's On The Square: 82 Days on the Mayoral Campaign:
But towards evening I got a touch at a cove's suck, and eased him of twenty-two quids and a lil, which I took in the usual manner, when he was entering the inn door. 1821, David Haggart, Life of David Haggart, 2nd edition, Edinburgh: James Ballantyne & Co, page 105:
(countable, slang, uncountable) The extent to which a person is interested or affected; the amount of outlay on something.
Such was Tim Whiffle on the Sunday, with the addition of a cane to indicate riding, it is true he had long had a penchant to a pair of spurs but did not as yet sport them, although a half crown touch at some livery stables was positively decided upon in his own mind, though hitherto the dread of a fall from a horse had prevented the execution of his magnanimous plan. 1804, William Henry Ireland, The Woman of Feeling, volume 2, page 232:
(UK, countable, dated, uncountable) Tallow.
(countable, uncountable) Form; standard of performance.
2019 In the mix: Who's pushing for selection for round seven? Australian Football League, 30 April 2019. Accessed 6 May 2019.
Jackson Hately, Isaac Cumming and Nick Shipley have been in great touch in the NEAFL.
(countable, qualifier:Australian rules football, uncountable) A disposal of the ball during a game, i.e. a kick or a handball.
2019 In the mix: Who's pushing for selection for round seven? Australian Football League, 30 April 2019. Accessed 6 May 2019.
With just six touches, small forward Daniel Rioli was uncharacteristically quiet against Melbourne, although he did lay five tackles.
(Australia, countable, uncountable) touch football (a variant of rugby league that does not involve tackling)
es tocamiento (act of touching) · eo nuanco (small amount) · ang hrīning (sense of perception by physical contact) · es tacto (sense of perception by physical contact) · my ဖေါဋ္ဌဗ္ဗာရုံ (sense of perception by physical contact) · es tiento (act of touching) · sv liten bit (small amount) · de Touch (distinguishing feature) · ko 접촉 (act of touching) · es toque (distinguishing feature) · bg отте́нък (distinguishing feature) · nb følelse (sense of perception by physical contact) · fa لامسه (sense of perception by physical contact) · fi tuntoaisti (sense of perception by physical contact) · fi kosketus (style or technique) · be до́тык (act of touching) · tg ломиса (sense of perception by physical contact) · tr dokunuş (act of touching) · pt toque (distinguishing feature) · ar مُلَامَسَة (act of touching) · sv detalj (distinguishing feature) · sl dotik (act of touching) · cs dotyk (act of touching) · bg общу́ване (close communication) · hu érintés (act of touching) · es palpación (act of touching) · hu képesség (ability to perform a task) · ang hrine m hrīning (act of touching) · pl aut (part of a sportsfield) · nl detail (distinguishing feature) · vi xúc giác (sense of perception by physical contact) · nn berøring (act of touching) · hu tapintás (sense of perception by physical contact) · pl dotknięcie (act of touching) · be до́тык (sense of perception by physical contact) · el επαφή (act of touching) · ru отте́нок (distinguishing feature) · sh о̀пип (sense of perception by physical contact) · pl dotyk (sense of perception by physical contact) · sh òpip (sense of perception by physical contact) · id sentuhan (sense of perception by physical contact) · fi piirre (distinguishing feature) · ar لَمْسَة (act of touching) · ka შეხება (sense of perception by physical contact) · ml തൊടൽ (act of touching) · fr toucher (act of touching) · la tāctus (sense of perception by physical contact) · sq prekje (act of touching) · hu jellegzetesség (distinguishing feature) · eu ukimen (sense of perception by physical contact) · nb anstrøk (small amount) · grc ἐπαφή (act of touching) · pl szczegół (distinguishing feature) · az toxunuş (act of touching) · it tocco (act of touching) · eo tuŝosenso (sense of perception by physical contact) · bg ма́лко коли́чество (small amount) · de Tasten (sense of perception by physical contact) · ru обще́ние (close communication) · es toque (act of touching) · fi käsikopelo (sense of perception by physical contact) · cs hmat (sense of perception by physical contact) · pt tato (sense of perception by physical contact) · fr contact (close communication) · pl dotyk (act of touching) · fi hitunen (small amount) · sv kontakt (close communication) · es toque (style or technique) · de Spur (small amount) · hy հպում (act of touching) · pt toque (sense of perception by physical contact) · fi tatsi (ability to perform a task) · km ផស្ស (act of touching) · sv aning (small amount) · uk доторка́ння (act of touching) · sv smula (small amount) · es toque (sense of perception by physical contact) · grc ἁφή (sense of perception by physical contact) · ml സ്പർശനം (act of touching) · de Berührung (act of touching) · es palpadura (act of touching) · sh до̏дӣр (act of touching) · ja タッチ (style or technique) · mk пипање (act of touching) · vi cú chạm (act of touching) · et puudutus (act of touching) · nl tastzin (sense of perception by physical contact) · fi ote (ability to perform a task) · ru конта́кт (close communication) · ru каса́ние (act of touching) · it tatto (sense of perception by physical contact) · da berøring (act of touching) · be датыка́нне (act of touching) · fi ominaispiirre (distinguishing feature) · sl tip (sense of perception by physical contact) · sv känsla för detaljer (distinguishing feature) · fi kentän ulkopuoli (part of a sportsfield) · nl tikje (small amount) · ro atingere (act of touching) · es palpamiento (act of touching) · tr dokunma duyusu (sense of perception by physical contact) · hu kapcsolat (close communication) · ru мане́ра (style or technique) · cs aut (part of a sportsfield) · eo tuŝo (act of touching) · fi tatsi (style or technique) · ja 接触 (act of touching) · fi kontakti (close communication) · ko 촉각 (sense of perception by physical contact) · bg доко́сване (act of touching) · de Berührung (sense of perception by physical contact) · ka შეხება (act of touching) · es pizca (small amount) · nb berøring (act of touching) · fi kosketus (act of touching) · ru осяза́ние (sense of perception by physical contact) · fi hiven (small amount) · sk dotyk (act of touching) · bg до́пир (act of touching) · uk до́тик (act of touching) · mk допир (act of touching) · ru след (small amount) · no kontakt (close communication) · ja 触覚 (sense of perception by physical contact) · sk dotýkanie sa (act of touching) · pt toque (act of touching) · pt tocar (act of touching) · pl styl (style or technique) · hu technika (style or technique) · sv känsel (sense of perception by physical contact) · el αφή (sense of perception by physical contact) · hu kevés (small amount) · ca tacte (sense of perception by physical contact) · bg следа́ (small amount) · hu partvonalon túli terület (part of a sportsfield) · hu kontakt (close communication) · ang hrine (sense of perception by physical contact) · ko 터치 (act of touching) · la contactus (act of touching) · ar لَمْس (sense of perception by physical contact) · la contāgēs (act of touching) · grc ψαῦσμα (act of touching) · fi tyyli (style or technique) · cmn 一點兒 /一点儿 (small amount) · id penyentuhan (act of touching) · ru стиль (style or technique) · cmn 觸覺 /触觉 (sense of perception by physical contact) · lv tauste (sense of perception by physical contact) · bg осеза́ние (sense of perception by physical contact) · hu tapintás (act of touching) · pt contato (close communication) · fr toucher (sense of perception by physical contact) · fi tuntuma (ability to perform a task) · ru прикоснове́ние (act of touching) · sh dȍdīr (act of touching) · cs dotek (act of touching) · ru штрих (distinguishing feature) · fi yhteys (close communication) · pl kontakt (close communication) · sv känsla (style or technique) · pt toque (style or technique) · ja タッチ (act of touching) · ru штрих (style or technique) · bg прикоснове́ние (act of touching) · cs zámezí (part of a sportsfield) · pl podejście (style or technique) · hy շոշափելիք (sense of perception by physical contact) · uk до́тик (sense of perception by physical contact) · sv beröring (act of touching) · nl touché (style or technique) · ar لَمْس (act of touching) · fi aavistus (small amount) · pl odrobina (small amount) · km ផោដ្ឋព្វៈ (act of touching) · sk dotknutie sa (act of touching) · sk hmat (sense of perception by physical contact)
From Middle English touchen, tochen, from Old French tochier (“to touch”) (whence Modern French toucher; compare French doublet toquer (“to offend, bother, harass”)), from Vulgar Latin *tuccō (“to knock, strike, offend”), from Frankish *tukkōn (“to knock, strike, touch”), from Proto-Germanic *tukkōną (“to tug, grab, grasp”), from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to draw, pull, lead”). Largely displaced native Middle English rinen, from Old English hrīnan (whence Modern English rine). Doublet of tuck.
Cognates
Cognate with Old High German zochhōn, zuhhōn (“to grasp, take, seize, snatch”) (whence German zucken (“to jerk, flinch”)), German Low German tucken, tocken (“to fidget, twitch, pull up, entice, throb, knock, repeatedly tap”), Middle Dutch tocken, tucken (“to touch, entice”) (whence Dutch tokkelen (“to strum, pluck”)), Old English tucian, tūcian (“to disturb, mistreat”) (whence Modern English tuck). Compare also Old High German tokkōn, tockōn (“to abut, collide”). More at tuck.
Via Proto-Indo-European *dewk- cognate with English tie, tow, tug, team, Latin dūcō, dux.
Meanings
(transitive) Primarily physical senses. ▸ To make physical contact with; to bring the hand, finger or other part of the body into contact with.
I touched his face softly.
While thus she spake, / She toucht his eye-lashes with libant lip / And breath'd ambrosial odours; […] 1803, Walter Savage Landor, “Book VI”, in Gebir; a Poem: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Slatter and Munday; and sold by R. S. Kirby, […], →OCLC, page 107:
(transitive) Primarily physical senses. ▸ To come into (involuntary) contact with; to meet or intersect.
Sitting on the bench, the hem of her skirt touched the ground.
(intransitive) Primarily physical senses. ▸ To come into physical contact, or to be in physical contact.
They stood next to each other, their shoulders touching.
(intransitive) Primarily physical senses. ▸ To make physical contact with a thing.
Please can I have a look, if I promise not to touch?
(transitive) Primarily physical senses. ▸ To physically disturb; to interfere with, molest, or attempt to harm through contact.
Let us make a covenant with thee, that thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 27:28-29:
If you touch her, I'll kill you.
(transitive) Primarily physical senses. ▸ To make intimate physical contact with a person.
The man was arrested for touching a girl without her consent.
(intransitive, rare, reflexive, transitive) Primarily physical senses. ▸ To sexually excite with the fingers; to finger or masturbate.
Her parents had caught her touching herself when she was fifteen.
Primarily physical senses. ▸ To have sexual intercourse with
Tell me the truth, did you touch her?
(transitive) Primarily physical senses. ▸ To cause to be briefly in physical contact with something.
He quickly touched his knee to the worn marble.
The demonstrator nearly touched the rod on the ball.
She touched her lips to the glass.
(transitive) Primarily physical senses. ▸ To physically affect in specific ways implied by context.
Frankly, this wood's so strong that sandpaper won't touch it.
(transitive) Primarily physical senses. ▸ To begin to consume, or otherwise use.
But Richmond[…]appeared to lose himself in his own reflections. Some pickled crab, which he had not touched, had been removed with a damson pie; and his sister saw[…]that he had eaten no more than a spoonful of that either. 1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 1, in The Unknown Ajax:
Are you all right? You've hardly touched your lunch.
(intransitive) Primarily physical senses. ▸ Of a ship or its passengers: to land, to make a short stop (at).
Now a certain grand merchant ship once touched at Rokovoko, and its commander — from all accounts, a very stately punctilious gentleman, at least for a sea captain — this commander was invited to the wedding feast of Queequeg's sister, a pretty young princess just turned of ten. 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC:
(historical, transitive) Primarily physical senses. ▸ To lay hands on (someone suffering from scrofula) as a form of cure, as formerly practised by English and French monarchs.
But in fact the English kings of the seventeenth century usually began to touch from the day of their accession, without waiting for any such consecration. 1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society, published 2012, page 189:
(intransitive, obsolete) Primarily physical senses. ▸ To fasten; to take effect; to make impression.
Strong waters pierce metals, and will touch upon gold, that will not touch upon silver. 1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC:
Primarily physical senses. ▸ To bring (a sail) so close to the wind that its weather leech shakes.
(intransitive) Primarily physical senses. ▸ To be brought, as a sail, so close to the wind that its weather leech shakes.
Primarily physical senses. ▸ To keep the ship as near (the wind) as possible.
to touch the wind
(transitive) Primarily non-physical senses. ▸ To imbue or endow with a specific quality.
This year, J. Allen Collier, the artistic director and producer, invited choreographers to create dance pieces exploring the multi-faceted responses to the AIDS crisis. This thematic unity touched the show with additional solemnity and grace. 1988 April 9, Vicki Gabriner, “Dancing for the Living and the Dead”, in Gay Community News, page 6:
My grandfather, as many people know, was touched with greatness.
(archaic, transitive) Primarily non-physical senses. ▸ To deal with in speech or writing; to mention briefly, to allude to.
Next to sorrow still I may annex such accidents as procure fear; for besides those terrors which I have before touched, […] there is a superstitious fear […] which much trouble many of us. , I.2.4.vii
(intransitive) Primarily non-physical senses. ▸ To deal with in speech or writing; briefly to speak or write (on or upon something).
'Well, but since we have touched upon this business, and for the last time I hope,' continued the doctor, 'there is one point I should like you to understand.[…]' 1886 January 5, Robert Louis Stevenson, “Dr. Jekyll Was Quite at Ease”, in Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC, page 33:
(transitive) Primarily non-physical senses. ▸ To concern, to have to do with.
Men of Israhell take hede to youreselves what ye entende to do as touchinge these men. 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Acts:
The stories did not seem to me to touch life. They were plainly intended to have a bracing moral effect, and perhaps had this result for the people at whom they were aimed. They left me with the impression of a well-delivered stereopticon lecture, with characters about as life-like as the shadows on the screen, and whisking on and off, at the mercy of the operator. 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter I, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
And now it seemed he was engaged in something which touched them closely, but must be hidden from their knowledge. 1919, Saki, ‘The Penance’, The Toys of Peace, Penguin 2000 (Complete Short Stories), page 423
(transitive, usually, with-negation) Primarily non-physical senses. ▸ To engage with, to be involved with.
His latest play is so shocking that his publisher wouldn't touch it and his friends almost dumped him. 2005 February 9, Lyn Gardner, “The devil inside”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 27 Apr 2023:
I wouldn't touch that with a ten-foot pole.
(transitive) Primarily non-physical senses. ▸ To affect emotionally; to bring about tender or painful feelings in.
If you are so fond over her iniquity, give her patent
to offend, for if it touch not you, it comes near
nobody. c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
Stefan was touched by the song's message of hope.
(dated, transitive) Primarily non-physical senses. ▸ To affect in a negative way, especially only slightly.
He had been drinking over lunch, and was clearly touched.
(Scottish, transitive) Primarily non-physical senses. ▸ To give royal assent to by touching it with the sceptre.
The bill was finally touched after many hours of deliberation.
(slang, transitive) Primarily non-physical senses. ▸ To obtain money from, usually by borrowing (from a friend).
I was running short, so I touched old Bertie for a fiver.
(qualifier:always passive, transitive) Primarily non-physical senses. ▸ To disturb the mental functions of; to make somewhat insane; often followed with "in the head".
You must be touched if you think I'm taking your advice.
(in negative constructions, transitive) Primarily non-physical senses. ▸ To be on the level of; to approach in excellence or quality.
There was his mistress, Maria Morano. I don't think I've ever seen anything to touch her, and when you work for the screen [as I do] you're apt to have a pretty exacting standard of female beauty. 1928, Dorothy L. Sayers, “The Abominable History of the Man with Copper Fingers”, in Lord Peter Views the Body:
'Lind Arden was a great genius, one of the greatest tragic actresses in the world. As Lady Macbeth, as Magda, there was no one to touch her.' 1934, Agatha Christie, chapter 6, in Murder on the Orient Express, London: HarperCollins, published 2017, page 118:
(transitive) Primarily non-physical senses. ▸ To come close to; to approach.
On Sunday afternoon it was as dark as night, with barely room for two riders abreast on a gradient that touches 20%. 2012 July 15, Richard Williams, Tour de France 2012: Carpet tacks cannot force Bradley Wiggins off track, Guardian Unlimited:
(transitive) Primarily non-physical senses. ▸ To mark (a file or document) as having been modified.
To try; to prove, as with a touchstone.
I mean to touch your love indeed. c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]:
To mark or delineate with touches; to add a slight stroke to with the pencil or brush.
The lines, though touched but faintly, are drawn right. 1711 May, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Criticism, London: […] W[illiam] Lewis […]; and sold by W[illiam] Taylor […], T[homas] Osborn[e] […], and J[ohn] Graves […], →OCLC:
(obsolete) To infect; to affect slightly.
Hee was touched with great Remorse 1622, Francis, Lord Verulam, Viscount St. Alban [i.e. Francis Bacon], The Historie of the Raigne of King Henry the Seventh, […], London: […] W[illiam] Stansby for Matthew Lownes, and William Barret, →OCLC:
To strike; to manipulate; to play on.
to touch an instrument of music
[They] touched their golden harps. 1667, John Milton, “Book VII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
To perform, as a tune; to play.
A person in the royal retinue touched a light and lively air on the flageolet. 1814 July 7, [Walter Scott], Waverley; or, ’Tis Sixty Years Since. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC:
To influence by impulse; to impel forcibly.
No decree of mine,[…][to] touch with lightest moment of impulse his free will. 1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC: