Touch
Part of speech: noun
Definition: An act of touching, especially with the hand or finger. The faculty or sense of perception by physical contact. The style or technique with which one plays a musical instrument. A distinguishing feature or characteristic. A little bit; a small amount. The part of a sports field beyond the touchlines or goal-lines. A relationship of close communication or understanding.
Part of speech: verb
Definition: Primarily physical senses. # To make physical contact with; to bring the hand, finger or other part of the body into contact with. #: I touched her face softly. # To come into (involuntary) contact with; to meet or intersect. #: Sitting on the bench, the hem of her skirt touched the ground. # To come into physical contact, or to be in physical contact. #: They stood next to each other, their shoulders touching. # To make physical contact with a thing. #: Please can I have a look, if I promise not to touch? # To physically disturb; to interfere with, molest, or attempt to harm through contact. #: If you touch her, I'll kill you. # To physically affect in specific ways implied by context. #: Frankly, this wood's so strong that sandpaper won't touch it. # To consume, or otherwise use. #: Are you all right? You've hardly touched your lunch. # Of a ship or its passengers: to land, to make a short stop (at). #* 1851, Herman Melville, Moby-Dick: #*: 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. # To sexually excite with the fingers; to finger or masturbate. #: Her parents had caught her touching herself when she was fifteen. Primarily non-physical senses. # To imbue or endow with a specific quality. #: My grandfather, as many people know, was touched with greatness. # To deal with in speech or writing; to mention briefly, to allude to. #* 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, I.2.4.vii: #*: 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. # To concern, to have a bearing on. #: Stay out of this, it doesn't touch you in any way. # To affect emotionally; to bring about tender or painful feelings in. #: Stefan was touched by the song's message of hope. # To affect in a negative way, especially only slightly. #: He had been drinking over lunch, and was clearly touched. # To give royal assent to by touching it with the sceptre. #: The bill was finally touched after many hours of deliberation. # To steal, or obtain money; to borrow money from. #: I was running short, so I touched old Bertie for a fiver. # To disturb the mental functions of; to make somewhat insane. #: You must be touched if you think I'm taking your advice. # To be on the level of; to approach in excellence or quality. #* 1928, Dorothy L. Sayers, "The Abominable History of the Man with Copper Fingers", in Lord Peter Views the Body, #*: 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.
Example sentence: Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.
Adjoin
Part of speech: verb
Definition: To be in contact or connection with.