TOUCH

Definitions

1. 1. The act of touching, or the state of being touched; contact. Their touch affrights me as a serpent's sting. Shak.
2. 2. 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. The spider's touch, how exquisitely fine. Pope.
3. 3. Act or power of exciting emotion. Not alone The death of Fulvia, with more urgent touches, Do strongly speak to us. Shak.
4. 4. An emotion or affection. A true, natural, and a sensible touch of mercy. Hooker.
5. 5. Personal reference or application. [Obs.] Speech of touch toward others should be sparingly used. Bacon.
6. 6. A stroke; as, a touch of raillery; a satiric touch; hence, animadversion; censure; reproof. I never bare any touch of conscience with greater regret. Eikon Basilike.
7. 7. A single stroke on a drawing or a picture. Never give the least touch with your pencil till you have well examined your design. Dryden.
8. 8. Feature; lineament; trait. Of many faces, eyes, and hearts, To have the touches dearest prized. Shak.
9. 9. The act of the hand on a musical instrument; bence, in the plural, musical notes. Soft stillness and the night Become the touches of sweet harmony. Shak.
10. 10. A small quantity intermixed; a little; a dash. Eyes La touch of Sir Peter Lely in them. Hazlitt. Madam, I have a touch of your condition. Shak.
11. 11. A hint; a suggestion; slight notice. A small touch will put him in mind of them. Bacon.
12. 12. A slight and brief essay. [Colloq.] Print my preface in such form as, in the booksellers' phrase, will make a sixpenny touch. Swift.
13. 13. A touchstone; hence, stone of the sort used for touchstone. [Obs.] " Now do I play the touch." Shak. A neat new monument of touch and alabaster. Fuller.
14. 14. Hence, examination or trial by some decisive standard; test; proof; tried quality. Equity, the true touch of all laws. Carew. Friends of noble touch . Shak.
15. 15. 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.
16. 16. 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. J. Knowles.
17. 17. That part of the field which is beyond the line of flags on either side. Encyc. of Rural Sports.
18. 18. A boys' game; tag. In touch (Football), outside of bounds. T. Hughes. -- To be in touch, to be in contact, or in sympathy. -- To keep touch. (a) To be true or punctual to a promise or engagement [Obs.]; hence, to fulfill duly a function. My mind and senses keep touch and time. Sir W. Scott.
19. 19. To keep in contact; to maintain connection or sympathy;-with with or of. -- Touch and go, a phrase descriptive of a narrow escape. -- True as touch (i.e., touchstone), quite true. [Obs.]