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- DictionaryTouch/təCH/
verb
- 1. come into or be in contact with: "he leaned back so that only two legs of his chair touched the floor" Similar be in contact (with)come into contact (with)come together (with)meetjoinconnectconverge (with)be contiguous (with)border (on)be (up) againstlink up (with)adjoinabutneighbor
- ▪ bring one's hand or another part of one's body into contact with: "he touched a strand of her hair" Similar press lightlytappatnudgeprodpokefeelstrokerubrub (up) againstbrushbrush (up) againstgrazefondlecaresspettickletoy withplay about withfiddle withfingerthumbhandleput one's hand onlay a hand onlay a finger on
- ▪ come or bring into mutual contact: "for a moment their fingers touched"
- ▪ be tangent to (a curve or surface) at a certain point.
- 2. handle in order to manipulate, alter, or otherwise affect, especially in an adverse way: "I didn't play her records or touch any of her stuff" Similar handleholdpick upmovemeddle withplay (about/around) withtoy withfiddle withinterfere withtamper withdisturbharmlay a hand onlay a finger onuseemploymake use ofput to usehave access toaccessavail oneself ofget (at)take advantage of
- ▪ cause harm to (someone): "I've got friends who'll pull strings—nobody will dare touch me"
- ▪ consume or use (food, drink, money, etc.): "the beer by his right hand was hardly touched" Similar tasteconsumeeatdrinktakepartake ofOpposite refrain from
- ▪ used to indicate that something is avoided or rejected: "he was good only for the jobs that nobody else would touch" Similar be associated withconcern oneself withinvolve oneself in/withget involved with/inhave something to do withhave dealings withdeal withhandlebe a party toinformal:touch something with a bargepole
- 3. have an effect on; make a difference to: "a tenth of state companies have been touched by privatization" Similar affecthave an effect onconcerninvolvehave a bearing onbe relevant tobe pertinent to
- ▪ (of a quality or expression) be or become visible or apparent in: "the voice was touched by hysteria"
- 4. produce feelings of affection, gratitude, or sympathy in: "she was touched by her friend's loyalty" Similar affectmovestirarousemake/leave an impression onimpresshave an impact onhave an effect oninfluenceimpassionupsetdisturbmake sadarouse sympathymeltsofteninformal:get (to)
- 5. reach (a specified level or amount): informal "sales touched twenty grand last year" Similar reachattainarrive atcome tomakeget up torise tosoar toget down tosink toplummet todive toinformal:hit
- ▪ be comparable to in quality or excellence: "there's no one who can touch him at lightweight judo" Similar compare withbe on a par withequalmatchbe a match forbe in the same class asbe in the same league asbe on an equal footing withparallelrivalcome nearget nearapproachcome up tocome/get close tomeasure up to/againstbetterbeatinformal:hold a candle to
noun
- 1. an act of touching someone or something: "her touch on his shoulder was hesitant" Similar presstappatnudgeprodpokepushglanceflickstrokebrushgrazepressure
- ▪ the faculty of perception through physical contact, especially with the fingers: "reading by touch" Similar feelingfeelsense of touchcontacttactile sensetactilitytexture
- ▪ a musician's manner of playing keys or strings.
- ▪ the manner in which a musical instrument's keys or strings respond to being played: "Viennese instruments with their too delicate touch"
- ▪ a light stroke with a pen, pencil, etc. Similar presstappatnudgeprodpokepushglanceflickstrokebrushgrazepressure
- 2. a small amount; a trace: "add a touch of vinegar" Similar small amounttracebitsuggestionsuspicionhintscintillatingetincturewhiffwhisperovertoneundertonenuancemurmurcoloringbreathveindashtastespotdropdabpinchspecksmacksmatteringsprinklingsplashsoupçon
- ▪ a detail or feature, typically one that gives something a distinctive character: "the film's most inventive touch" Similar detailfeaturefine pointnicetyadditionaccessoryminutiae
- 3. a distinctive manner or method of dealing with something: "later he showed a surer political touch" Similar skillskillfulnessexpertisedexteritydeftnessvirtuosityadroitnessadeptnessabilitytalentflairfacilityproficiencyknacktechniqueapproachstylemannerexecutionmethodfeelcraftsmanshipworkmanshipartistryperformanceinfluenceeffecthandhandlingdirectionmanagementtechniquemethod
- ▪ an ability to deal with something successfully: "getting caught looks so incompetent, as though we're losing our touch"
- 4. an act of asking for and getting money or some other commodity from someone as a loan or gift: informal, dated "I only tolerated him because he was good for a touch now and then"
- 5. a series of changes shorter than a peal.
- 6. a thing or an action that tries out the worth or character of something; a test: archaic "you must put your fate to the touch"
- 7. short for touch football US
Word Origin Middle English: the verb from Old French tochier, probably from a Romance word of imitative origin; the noun originally from Old French touche, later (in certain senses) directly from the verb.
Derivatives
- 1. touchable adjective
Scrabble Points: 10
T
1O
1U
1C
3H
4
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