Word of the Day: Touch
touch / təCH
verb
1. to bring a part of the body into contact with something so as to perceive through tactile sense
Friends share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand.
Henri Nouwen, 1932-1996
2. to put hands on something or someone, usually violently
I don’t think anybody should ever touch anybody in anger, ever.
Tommy Lee, 1962-
3. to consume
An American monkey, after getting drunk on brandy, would never touch it again, and thus is wiser than most men.
Charles Darwin, 1809-1882
4. to deal with or be involved in something
I don’t think the government should touch art.
Dave Hickey, 1940-
5. to reach
I want to touch people with my art.
Vincent Van Gogh, 1853-1890
6. to rival in quality
A lot of brands, you can’t touch them.
Snoop Dogg, 1971-
7. to speak of something
And so the guilty man, who fortuitously touched on and revealed this aspect of living things, was taken to the place where he began and there is forever beaten by the waves.
Proclus, 412-485
8. to concern or be related to
Conversation should touch everything, but should concentrate itself on nothing.
Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900
9. to blemish or taint
I think the truly natural things are dreams, which nature can’t touch with decay.
Bob Dylan, 1941-
10. to give a deliberate expression to
A ghost of a smile touched Halt’s face.
from ‘The Burning Bridge’ by John Flanagan, 1944-
11. to come close
Hills of forest green where the mountains touch the sky, a dream come true, I’ll live there til I die.
Don McLean, 1945-
12. to make a stop somewhere
The only dream I ever had was the dream of New York itself, and for me, from the minute I touched down in this city, that was enough.
from ‘If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You’ by Kelly Cutrone, 1965-
13. to affect
I was never really insane except upon occasions when my heart was touched.
Edgar Allan Poe, 1809-1849
noun
1. the act or instance of coming into contact
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.
Leo Buscaglia, 1924-1998
2. the sense by which pressure to the skin is perceived
Feelings aroused by the touch of someone’s hand, the sound of music, the smell of a flower, a beautiful sunset, a work of art, love, laughter, hope and faith – all work on both the unconscious and the conscious aspects of the self, and they have physiological consequences as well.
Bernie Segel, 1932-
3. a sensation which arises in response to stimulation of tactile receptors; feel
Touch is the first language we speak.
Stephen Gaskin, 1935-2014
4. a subtle and effective detail
Perfume puts the finishing touch to elegance – a detail that subtly underscores the look, an invisible extra that completes a man and a woman’s personality.
Gianni Versace, 1946-1997
5. a small quantity
Every silver lining has a touch of grey.
Jerry Garcia, 1942-1995
6. tact or responsiveness
Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.
Charles Dickens, 1812-1870
7. something slight
One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.
William Shakespeare, 1564-1616
8. the state of being aware of or in contact with
Make sure you stay in touch with beauty instead of letting the ugliness of the world corrupt your soul.
John Frusciante, 1970-
9. distinguishing characteristic
Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex…It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.
E. F. Schumacher, 1911-1977
10. ability or skill
There is no such thing as natural touch. Touch is something you create by hitting millions of golf balls.
Lee Trevino, 1939-
11. in fencing, the contact of the weapon used within a specified portion of the opponent’s body
In early contests, fencers tried for a single touch. In 1932, the number of touches required to win was increased to three, and, in 1955, to five.
https://www.britannica.com/sports/epee
12. the manner in which one plays a musical instrument, especially the piano
The type of touch a pianist will choose depends on the sound he wants to achieve.
Karstein Djupdal, ?- www.djupdal.org/karstein/debussy/method/m09.shtml
13. the mode of action in the keys of an instrument, typewriter, etc.
The design, feel, and touch of the key mechanism (commonly called the key action) used on modern keyboards can vary a great deal.
Jerry Kovarsky, ?- https://www.dummies.com/art-center/music/piano/key-feel-and-response-of-keyboards/