touches

noun

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.

(music) The particular or characteristic mode of action, or the resistance of the keys of an instrument to the fingers.

A distinguishing feature or characteristic.

A little bit; a small amount.

The part of a sports field beyond the touchlines or goal-lines.

(uncountable, in set phrases) A relationship of close communication or understanding.

The ability to perform a task well; aptitude.

A single stroke on a drawing or a picture.

(shipbuilding) The broadest part of a plank worked top and but, 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.

The children's game of tag.

(bell-ringing) A set of changes less than the total possible on seven bells, i.e. less than 5,040.

(slang) An act of borrowing or stealing something; a request for money.

(slang) The extent to which a person is interested or affected; the amount of outlay on something.

Form; standard of performance.

(Australian rules football) A disposal of the ball during a game, i.e. a kick or a handball.

(chiefly Australia) touch football (a variant of rugby league that does not involve tackling)

(UK, plumbing, dated) Tallow.

(obsolete) Act or power of exciting emotion.

(obsolete) An emotion or affection.

(obsolete) Personal reference or application.

(obsolete) A brief essay.

(obsolete) A touchstone; hence, stone of the sort used for touchstone.

(obsolete) Examination or trial by some decisive standard; test; proof; tried quality.

verb

Primarily physical senses.

(transitive) To make physical contact with; to bring the hand, finger or other part of the body into contact with.

(transitive) To come into (involuntary) contact with; to meet or intersect.

(intransitive) To come into physical contact, or to be in physical contact.

(intransitive) To make physical contact with a thing.

(transitive) To physically disturb; to interfere with, molest, or attempt to harm through contact.

(transitive) To make intimate physical contact with a person.

(transitive or reflexive) To sexually excite with the fingers; to finger or masturbate.

To have sexual intercourse with

(transitive) To cause to be briefly in physical contact with something.

(transitive) To physically affect in specific ways implied by context.

(transitive) To begin to consume, or otherwise use.

(intransitive) Of a ship or its passengers: to land, to make a short stop (at).

(nautical) To bring (a sail) so close to the wind that its weather leech shakes.

(intransitive, nautical) To be brought, as a sail, so close to the wind that its weather leech shakes.

(nautical) To keep the ship as near (the wind) as possible.

Primarily non-physical senses.

(transitive) To imbue or endow with a specific quality.

(intransitive) To deal with in speech or writing; briefly to speak or write (on or upon something).

(transitive) To concern, to have to do with.

(transitive) To affect emotionally; to bring about tender or painful feelings in.

(transitive, Scottish history) To give royal assent to by touching it with the sceptre.

(transitive, slang) To obtain money from, usually by borrowing (from a friend).

(transitive, always passive) To disturb the mental functions of; to make somewhat insane; often followed with "in the head".

(transitive, in negative constructions) To be on the level of; to approach in excellence or quality.

(transitive) To come close to; to approach.

(transitive, computing) To mark (a file or document) as having been modified.

To try; to prove, as with a touchstone.

To mark or delineate with touches; to add a slight stroke to with the pencil or brush.

To strike; to manipulate; to play on.

To perform, as a tune; to play.

To influence by impulse; to impel forcibly.

(transitive, dated) To affect in a negative way, especially only slightly.

(transitive, now historical) To lay hands on (someone suffering from scrofula) as a form of cure, as formerly practised by English and French monarchs.

(intransitive, obsolete) To fasten; to take effect; to make impression.

(transitive, archaic) To deal with in speech or writing; to mention briefly, to allude to.

(obsolete) To infect; to affect slightly.

Synonyms & related words for touches

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Words related to touches

Explore words related to touches — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include touching, taction, contact, tactility, touched, tactual, tinge, pinch. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.