No Encyclopedia Entry for Touch Noah Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language 1. (v. t.) To come in contact with; to hit or strike lightly against; to extend the hand, foot, or the like, so as to reach or rest on. 2. (v. t.) To perceive by the sense of feeling. 3. (v. t.) To come to; to reach; to attain to. 4. (v. t.) To try; to prove, as with a touchstone. 5. (v. t.) To relate to; to concern; to affect. 6. (v. t.) To handle, speak of, or deal with; to treat of. 7. (v. t.) To meddle or interfere with; as, I have not touched the books. 8. (v. t.) To affect the senses or the sensibility of; to move; to melt; to soften. 9. (v. t.) To mark or delineate with touches; to add a slight stroke to with the pencil or brush. 10. (v. t.) To infect; to affect slightly. 11. (v. t.) To make an impression on; to have effect upon. 12. (v. t.) To strike; to manipulate; to play on; as, to touch an instrument of music. 13. (v. t.) To perform, as a tune; to play. 14. (v. t.) To influence by impulse; to impel forcibly. 15. (v. t.) To harm, afflict, or distress. 16. (v. t.) To affect with insanity, especially in a slight degree; to make partially insane; -- rarely used except in the past participle. 17. (v. t.) To be tangent to. See Tangent, a. 18. (v.) To lay a hand upon for curing disease. 19. (v. i.) To be in contact; to be in a state of junction, so that no space is between; as, two spheres touch only at points. 20. (v. i.) To fasten; to take effect; to make impression. 21. (v. i.) To treat anything in discourse, especially in a slight or casual manner; -- often with on or upon. 22. (v. i.) To be brought, as a sail, so close to the wind that its weather leech shakes. 23. (n.) The act of touching, or the state of being touched; contact. 24. (n.) The sense by which pressure or traction exerted on the skin is recognized; the sense by which the properties of bodies are determined by contact; the tactile sense. See Tactile sense, under Tactile. 25. (v.) Act or power of exciting emotion. 26. (n.) An emotion or affection. 27. (v.) Personal reference or application. 28. (n.) A stroke; as, a touch of raillery; a satiric touch; hence, animadversion; censure; reproof. 29. (n.) A single stroke on a drawing or a picture. 30. (v.) Feature; lineament; trait. 31. (n.) The act of the hand on a musical instrument; hence, in the plural, musical notes. 32. (n.) A small quantity intermixed; a little; a dash. 33. (n.) A hint; a suggestion; slight notice. 34. (n.) A slight and brief essay. 35. (n.) A touchstone; hence, stone of the sort used for touchstone. 36. (v.) Hence, examination or trial by some decisive standard; test; proof; tried quality. 37. (n.) The particular or characteristic mode of action, or the resistance of the keys of an instrument to the fingers; as, a heavy touch, or a light touch; also, the manner of touching, striking, or pressing the keys of a piano; as, a legato touch; a staccato touch. 38. (n.) The broadest part of a plank worked top and but (see Top and but, under Top, n.), 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. 39. (n.) That part of the field which is beyond the line of flags on either side. 40. (n.) A boys' game; tag.
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