touch 
12. Of ii musical instrument. tociuiHe tos<iuinl: 
play: usually applied to instruments tlmt :n > 
sounded by striking or twan^inc, lint extended 
to others. 
Touch thy instrument a strain or lw<>. 
/.-., J. 0., iv. :i. -i'.T. 
I'll tmuli my horn. Haaiwjer, Guardian, Ii. 4. 
13. To perform on an instrument. its a piece 
of music. 
A person in tin- royal retinue tmicheil a light and lively 
;iir mi the flageolet. Srtt. 
14. To paint or form by touches or strokes as 
of a pen or lirnsh; murk or delineate by light 
touches or stroke's. U an artist. 
surh heavenly touches ne'er touch'd earthly faces. 
Shalt., Sonnets, xvil. 
The lines, though touch'd but faintly, are drawn right. 
Pope, Essay on Criticism, 1. '2->. 
15. To improve or finish, as a drawing, by add- 
ing a stroke liero and there, as with a pen, pen- 
cil, or brush; retouch: usually with u/>. 
What he saw was only her natural countenance, touched 
"!' with the umial improvements of an aged Coquette. 
Addinon, Freeholder, No. 44. 
My Impression (of an engraving] Is unequal, being faint 
in some parts, very dark in others. If the plate was 
worn, It has been touched afterwards. 
X. and Q., 7th ser., X. 118. 
16. To take, as food, drink, etc.; help one's 
self to; hence, to partake of; taste. 
If thou sytte be a worthyor mnn 
Then thy self, . . . 
Suffre hym fyrste to tmrchc the mete 
Kre thy self any ther-of gete. 
Babe<iBooHE. E. T. S.), p. 14. 
He dies that touches any of this fruit 
Till I and my affairs are answered. 
Shak., As you Like it. II. 7. 98. 
17. To infect or impair by contact; stain; 
blot; blemish; taint. 
The life of all his blood 
Is touch'd corruptibly. Shale., K. John, v. 7. 2. 
Thou canst uot touch my credit ; 
Truth will not suffer me to be abus'il thus. 
Fletcher (and Masringerl), Lovers' Progress, III. 6. 
18. To impair mentally in some slight degree; 
affect slightly with craziness: used chiefly in 
the past participle. 
Madam, you see master's a little touched, that's all. 
Twenty ounces of blood let loose would set all right again. 
Vanbrugh, Confederacy, v. 2. 
Pray iniud him not, his brain is touch'd. 
Steele, Lying Lover, v. 1. 
19f. To attack; hence, to animadvert upon; 
take to task ; censure ; reprove ; ridicule. 
Sur Water Hungerfo and his brother bathe touched me 
in iij thinges, but I wolde in no case have ye douches to 
knowe them forgeving hurgrefe. 
Darrell Papers (1570) (H. Hall, Society In Elizabethan Age, 
[App., 1L). 
You teach behaviours ! 
Or touch us for our freedoms ! 
Fletcher, Wildgoose Chase, II. 3. 
20. Testing; nettle,as with some sharp speech. 
Beshrew me, but his words have touch'd me home. 
Ford, Perkin Warbeck, 11. 1. 
Our last horses were so slow that the postilion, a hand* 
some, lively boy, whose pride was a little touched by my 
remonstrances, failed, In spite of all his efforts, to bring 
us to the station before seven. 
B. Taylor, Northern Travel, p. 43. 
21. To fall upon ; strike; affect; impress. 
If ... any air of music touch their ears, 
You shall perceive them make a mutual stand. 
Shak., M. of V., T. 1. 78. 
What of sweet before 
Hath touch'd my sense flat seems to this. 
Milton, P. L., ix. 987. 
22. To affect or move mentally or emotional- 
ly; fill with passion or tender feeling; affect 
or move, as with pity; hence, to melt; soften. 
He Is touch'd 
To the noble heart. Shak., W. T., ill. 2. 222. 
He weeps again ; 
His heart is touch'd, sure, with remorse. 
Fletcher, Wife for a Month, Iv. 1. 
Tremendous scene ! that gen'ral horror gave, 
But tmich'd with joy the bosoms of the brave. 
/'...; Iliad, xlli. 435. 
23. To make an impression on ; have an effect 
on ; act on. 
Its face must be . . . so hard that a file will not touch It. 
J. !/<>/-..,,, Mech. Exercises. 
24. To influence by impulse ; impel forcibly. 
No decree of mine 
Concurring to necessitate his fall, 
Or touch with lightest moment of impulse 
His free will. Milton, P. L., x. 4, r i. 
25. To affect ; concern ; relate to. 
With that the quene was wroth In hir maner, 
Thought she anon this toirchith me right ner. 
Generydes (E. E. T. S.), 1. 50. 
40:2 
6401 
The quarrel toucheth none but us alone. 
>'/,-(*., 1 lien. VI.. iv. !. 11- 
These statutes touched high and low. 
J. Gairdner, Richard III.. I. 
26. To swindle ; cheat; act dishonestly by : M, 
lo tiuirh one's mate. [Slang, Australia.^ To 
touch bottom, to reach the lowest point, especially In 
pri >; have the least value. To touch elbows. See 
elbmr. To touch off. (a) To sketch hastily ; flnlsh by 
a few rapid touches or dashes. 
I was upon this whispered, by one of the company who 
sat next me, that I should now see something touched of 
to a nicety. (joldtmith, Clubs. 
(6) To discharge, as a cannon. To touch one on the 
raw. See mini. To touch the gums, in <ned., t< cause 
incipient salivation by giving mercury. To touch the 
wind ("'. ), t" keep the ship as near the wind as nonsl- 
I'lr To touch up. (a) To repair or improve by slight 
touches or emendations; retouch: as, to touch up a pic- 
ture. (6) To remind ; jog the memory of. [Colloq.J 
Touched bill of health. See toll of health, under WU-'i. 
-Touching the ears. See <ori.--Touch me not. 
See touch-me-not Touch pot, touch penny, a pro- 
verbial phrase, signifying no credit given. 
"We know the custom of such houses," continues he ; 
" 'tis touch pot, touch penny." 
drama, Spiritual Quixote, 111. 2. (Daviei.) 
II. intranti. 1. To be in contact; be in a state 
of junction, so that no appreciable space is be- 
tween : as, two spheres touch only in one point. 
Some side by side uot touching walked, 
As though of happy things they talked. 
William Morrit, Earthly Paradise, III. 201. 
Specifically 2. To lay the hand or finger upon 
a person for the purpose of curing a disease, es- 
pecially scrofula, or king's evil. 
We were then shown Edward the Confessor's tomb ; 
upon which Sir Roger acquainted us that he was the first 
that touched for the Evil. Addimn. Spectator, No. 329. 
3f. To reach ; extend. 
The vols of people touchede to the hevene, 
So loude cryden they with mery stevene. 
Chaucer, Knight's Tale, 1. 17(18. 
4. To make a passing call, as a ship on a voy- 
age: commonly with at, rarely with on. 
And also Pole, which ys xxx myle from Parence. a good 
havyn, ffor many Shippys and galyes toirche ther rather 
thanne at Parence. 
Torkinytim, Diarle of Eng. Travell, p. 16. 
The next day we touched at Sldon. Acts xxvil. 3. 
I made a little voyage round the lake, and touched on 
the several towns that lie on Its coasts. 
Addition, Remarks on Italy (Works, ed. Bohn, I. 510). 
5. To mention or treat something slightly in 
discourse ; refer cursorily or in passing: com- 
monly with on or upon. 
Whenne the Sonne Is Est In tho partyes, toward Paradys 
terrestre, It Is thanne mydnyght in oure parties o tills 
half, for the rowndenease of the Erthe, of the whlche I 
have tmcched to zou before. Mandnille, Travels, p. 303. 
If the antiquaries have touched upon it, they have Im- 
mediately quitted It Additon. 
The attitude and bearing of the law in this respect, on 
which I Intend to touch In quite general terms. 
Nineteenth Century, XXVI. 841. 
At soon as he hath touched on any science or study, he 
Immediately seems to himself to have mastered It. 
Bp. Atterbury, Sermons, I. v. 
Whenever she touch'd on me 
This brother had laugh'd her down. 
Tennyson, Maud, xix. 6. 
6. To bow or salute by touching the hat or 
cap. [Prov. _Eng.] 7t. To rob. [Thieves' 
lute by 
J-] 7t. 
slang.] 8f. To stand the test. 
As In London salth a luellere, 
Which brought from thence golde oore to us here, 
Whereof was fyncd mettal good and clene, 
As they touch, no better could be scene. 
UaHuyt* Voyages, I. 199. 
And now you are brought to the test ; touch right now, 
soldier. 
Now shew the manly pureneas of thy mettle. 
Fletcher, Loyal Subject, L 5. 
9f. To have or take effect ; act. 
Strong waters . . . will touch upon gold that will not 
touch upon silver. Bacon. 
10. Naut., of the sails of a square-ringed vessel, 
to be in such a position that their weather- 
leeches shake from the ship being steered so 
close to the wind To touch and go. (a) To touch 
lightly or briefly and pass on ; dip in or stop for a mo- 
ment nere and there in course. 
As the text doth rise, I will lunch and go a little in every 
place. LaKmer, 1st Sermon hef. Edw. VI., 1649. 
(6) Naut., to graze the bottom with the keel for a mo- 
ment, as a vessel under sail, without lessening of the 
speed To touch on <>r upon. Seedef. 6. Touch and 
trade papers. See paper. 
touch (tuch), M. [<ME. louche; < touch, r.] 1. 
That sense by which mechanical pressure upon 
the surface of the body (the skin, with the hps, 
the interior of the month, etc.) is perceived; 
sensibility to pressure, weight, and muscular 
resistance: the sense of feeling; faction, with 
this Is sometimes reckoned sensibility to temperature. 
The sense of tonoh i." most acute In those parts of the 
touch 
body that are freely movable, especially In the tips of the 
finger*. It is the most fundament*! and least specialized 
or localized of the sense*. See tactil-' corputcltf. undi i 
corpuscle. 
Th' ear, 
Taste, tnufh, and smell, pleased from thy table rise. 
.SV../1-., T. ..f A., I. 2. 1.12. 
By touch, hard, soft, rough, smooth, we do discern : 
By touch, sweet pleasure and slmrp pain we try. 
SirJ. l>nrifi. Immortal, of N.ul, xvil!. 
Touch Is ... the sense liy whleh mechanical force is 
appreciated, and It presents a strong resemblance to hear- 
ing. In which the sensation Is excited by intermitt'-nt 
pressures on the auditory organ. 
Kncyc. lint , XXIII. ITv 
All the sense* are but mollifications of 
W. Wallace, Epicureanism, p. 98. 
2. Mental or moral feeling ; moral perception 
or appreciation. 
Can it be 
That men should live with such unfeeling souls, 
without or tiruch or conscience of religion? 
B. Jonton, Case Is Altered, v. S. 
3. Contact. 
Never touch [was{ well welcome to thy hand . . . 
I'nless I ... touch'd. Mult., c. of K., II. 2. 118. 
But O, for the touch of a vanished hand, 
And the sound of a voice that Is still ' 
Tennyton, Break, break, break. 
4. Figuratively, a close relation of mutual con 
Science, sympathy, interest, or the like ; sym- 
pathy ; accord or harmony in relation to com- 
mon interests: as, to be out of touch with the 
times; to keep in touch with the people. 
The European In Morocco feels that when he is In com- 
pany with a Barbary Jew he Is In touch with Europe. 
The Academy, June 1, 1889, p. 371. 
We want, with oar brethren of the working class, that 
which we have largely lost the Church I fear not less 
than those who are outside of It that expressive thing 
which we call touch. New Princeton Rcc., II. 47. 
6. Pressure, or application of pressure ; impact ; 
a slight stroke, tap, push, or the like : often used 
figuratively. 
They [the Australians] pray to the Ueufll, which hath 
conference with an I ndian vnseene, from a peece of wood ; 
and to him and all the rest many times by night he toncheth 
the face and breast with cold touches, but they could neuer 
learne what he was. Purchas, Pilgrimage, p. 864. 
A little touch of their adversary gives all that boisterous 
force the foil. B. Jonton, Alchemist, To the Reader. 
Vineyards red with the touch of October. The grapes 
were gone, but the plants had a color of their own. 
U, Jamct, Jr., Little Tour, p. 173. 
6. A slight or brief sound. 7. The impression 
conveyed to the mind by contact or pressure ; 
effect on the sense of contact with something; 
feel: as, an object with a slimy touch. 8. A jog; 
a hint; a reminder; a slight experience. 
The king, your master, knows their disposition very well ; 
a small touch will put him in mind of them. Bacon. 
I ... related unto you y l fearfull accidente, or rather 
judgmente, y Lord pleased to lay on London Bridge, by flre 
and therin gave you a touch of my great loss. 
Sherley, quoted in Bradford's Plymouth Plantation, p. 30. 
9. A stroke or dash as with a pen, pencil, or 
brush, literally or figuratively: as, a touch of 
bright color; also, any slight added effort or 
action, such as that expended on some com- 
pleted work in order to give it finish. 
What strained touches rhetoric can lend. 
Shak., Sonnets, lixxil. 
It tutors nature ; artificial strife 
Lives in these touches, livelier than life. 
Shot., T. of A., i. 1. 88. 
The old latticed windows, the stone porch, . . . thechim- 
ney stacks, were rich In crayon touches, and sepia lights and 
shades. Charlotte Bronte, Shirley, xl. 
10. Figuratively, something resembling a light 
stroke or touch, (a) A tinge ; a smack ; a trace : as, a 
touch of irony. 
No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity. 
SAal-., Rich. IIL, i. 2.71. 
An insight Into mechanics Is desirable, with a touch of 
statistics. I.omli, Old and New Schoolmaster. 
While the air has no touch of spring, 
Bird of promise ! we hear thee sing. 
Bryant, Song Sparrow. 
(6) A shade ; a trifle ; a slight quantity or degree. 
Madam, I have a touch of your condition, 
Which cannot brook the accent of reproof. 
Shot., Rich. HI., Iv. 4. 167. 
Bell was a touch better educated than her husband. 
Mrs. Gastcll, Sylvia's Lovers, Iv. 
(c) A taint ; a blemish ; a defect ; an impairment 
How great a touch and wound that manner ... is to 
his Reputation. Sir R. Winuvod, Memorials, I. 448. 
This touch in the brain of the British subject 1s as cer- 
tainly owing to the reading newspapers as that of the 
Spanish worthy above-mentioned to the reading works of 
chivalry. Steele, Tatler, No. 178. 
(if) A slight attack or stroke ; a twinge : a pang : a feeling : 
as, a touch of rheumatism. 
Give me a rose, that I may press its thorns, and prove 
myself awake by the sharp touch of pain ! 
Hairthornc, Seven Gables, z. 
