–verb (used with object)

1.	to put the hand, finger, etc., on or into contact with (something) to feel it: He touched the iron cautiously.

2.	to come into contact with and perceive (something), as the hand or the like does.

3.	to bring (the hand, finger, etc., or something held) into contact with something: She touched a match to the papers.

4.	to give a slight tap or pat to with the hand, finger, etc.; strike or hit gently or lightly.

5.	to come into or be in contact with.

6.	Geometry. (of a line or surface) to be tangent to.

7.	to be adjacent to or border on.

8.	to come up to; reach; attain.

9.	to attain equality with; compare with (usually used with a negative): a style that cannot touch that of Shakespeare.

10.	to mark by strokes of the brush, pencil, or the like.

11.	to mark or relieve slightly, as with color: a gray dress touched with blue.

12.	to stop at (a place), as a ship: The ship touched shore several times during the cruise.

13.	to treat or affect in some way by contact.

14.	to affect as if by contact; tinge; imbue.

15.	to affect with some feeling or emotion, esp. tenderness, pity, gratitude, etc.: Their sufferings touched his heart.

16.	to handle, use, or have to do with in any way (usually used with a negative): She can't touch the money until she's 21.

17.	to eat or drink; consume; taste (usually used with a negative): He won't touch another drink.

18.	to lay hands on, often in a violent manner: Don't you touch this child! d46

19.	to deal with or treat in speech or writing.

20.	to refer or allude to.

21.	to pertain or relate to: a critic in all matters touching the kitchen.

22.	to be a matter of importance to; make a difference to; affect: This grave decision touches all of us.

23.	Metallurgy. to stamp (metal) as being of standard purity.

24.	Slang. to apply to for money, or succeed in getting money from: He touched me for five dollars.

25.	Slang. to steal from.

26.	Archaic. a. to strike the strings, keys, etc., of (a musical instrument) so as to cause it to sound. b. to play or perform (an air, notes, etc.) on a musical instrument.

–verb (used without object)

27.	to place the hand, finger, etc., on or in contact with something.

28.	to come into or be in contact.

29.	to make a stop or a short call at a place, as a ship or those on board (usually fol. by at).

–noun

30.	the act or state of touching; state or fact of being touched.

31.	that sense by which anything material is perceived by means of physical contact.

32.	the quality of something touched that imparts a sensation: an object with a slimy touch.

33.	a coming into or being in contact.

34.	mental or moral perception, sensitivity, or understanding: He has a marvelous touch in dealing with people.

35.	ability, skill, or dexterity; knack: to lose one's touch.

3e8

36.	Fencing. the contact of the point of a foil or épée or the point or edge of the blade of a saber with a specified portion of the opponent's body, counting one point for the scorer.

37.	close communication, agreement, sympathy, or the like: to be out of touch with reality; Let's keep in touch.

38.	a slight stroke or blow.

39.	a slight attack, as of illness or disease: a touch of rheumatism.

40.	a slight added action or effort in doing or completing any piece of work: to provide the fi 535 nishing touches.

41.	manner of execution in artistic work.

42.	the act or manner of touching or fingering a keyboard instrument.

43.	the mode of action of the keys of an instrument, as of a piano or typewriter.

44.	Change Ringing. a partial series of changes on a peal of bells.

45.	a stroke or dash, as with a brush, pencil, or pen.

46.	a detail in any artistic work.

47.	a slight amount of some quality, attribute, etc.: a touch of sarcasm in his voice.

48.	a slight quantity or degree: a touch of salt.

49.	a distinguishing characteristic or trait: the touch of the master.

50.	quality or kind in general.

51.	an act of testing something.

52.	something that serves as a test; touchstone.

53.	Slang. a. the act of approaching someone for money as a gift or a loan. b. the obtaining of money in this manner. c. the money obtained. d. a person considered from the standpoint of the relative ease with which he or she will lend money: I can always hit him for ten—he's an easy touch.

54.	Slang. theft.

55.	Metallurgy. a. an official mark put upon precious metal after testing to indicate its purity. b. a die, stamp, or the like for impressing such a mark. c. an identifying mark impressed on pewter by its maker.

56.	Soccer. the area outside the touchlines.

57.	Rugby. either of the touchlines 1066 or the area outside of the touchlines.

—Verb phrases

58.	touch down, (of an airplane) to come into contact with the ground; land.

59.	touch off, a. to represent or characterize precisely. b. to cause to ignite or explode. c. to give rise to; initiate: This incident will touch off another crisis.

60.	touch on or upon, a. to mention a subject briefly or casually; treat of in passing: In his lecture he touched on the major aspects of the controversy. b. to come close to; approach. c. to relate or pertain to.

61.	touch up, a. to make minor changes or improvements in the appearance of. b. to modify or improve (a painting, photograph, etc.) by adding small strokes or making slight changes. c. to rouse by or as if by striking: This should touch up your memory.

—Idioms

62.	put the touch on, Informal. to try to borrow money from: Willie put the touch on me for another ten last night.

63.	touch base with. base 1 (def. 36).

–noun

1.	a movable or fixed device, usually consisting of a covered frame, that provides shelter, serves as a partition, etc.

2.	a permanent, usually ornamental partition, as around the choir of a church or across the hall of a medieval house.

3.	a specially prepared, light-reflecting surface on which motion pictures, slides, etc., may be projected.

4.	motion pictures collectively or the motion-picture industry.

5.	Electronics, Television. the external surface of the large end of a cathode-ray tube of a television set, radar receiver, etc., on which an electronically created picture or image is formed.

6.	Computers. 3e8 a. Also called video screen. the portion of a terminal or monitor upon which information is displayed. b. frame (def. 10).

7.	anything that shelters, protects, or conceals: a screen of secrecy; A screen of fog prevented our seeing the ship.

8.	a frame holding a mesh of wire, cloth, or plastic, for placing in a window or doorway, around a porch, etc., to admit air but exclude insects.

9.	a sieve, riddle, or other meshlike device used to separate smaller particles or objects from larger ones, as for grain or sand.

10.	a system for screening or grouping people, objects, etc.

11.	Military. a body of troops sent out to protect the movement of an army.

12.	Navy. a protective formation of small vessels, as destroyers, around or in front of a larger ship or ships.

13.	Physics. a shield designed to prevent interference between various agencies: electric screen.

14.	Electronics. screen grid.

15.	Photography. a plate of ground glass or the like on which the image is brought into focus in a camera before being photographed.

16.	Photoengraving. a transparent plate containing two sets of fine parallel lines, one crossing the other, used in the halftone process.

17.

Sports. a. any of various offensive plays in which teammates form a protective formation around the ball carrier, pass receiver, shooter, etc. b. any of various defensive plays in which teammates conceal or block an opposing ball carrier, pass receiver, shooter, or the goal, basket, net, etc., itself.

–verb (used with object)

18.	to shelter, protect, or conceal with or as if with a screen.

19.	to select, reject, consider, or group (people, objects, ideas, etc.) by examining systematically: Job applicants were screened by the personnel department.

20.	to provide with a screen or screens to exclude insects: He screened the porch so they could enjoy sitting out on summer evenings.

21.	to sift or sort by passing through a screen.

22.	to project (a motion picture, slide, etc.) on a screen.

23.	Movies. a. to show (a motion picture), esp. to an invited audience, as of exhibitors and critics. b. to photograph with a motion-picture camera; film. c. to adapt (a story, play, etc.) for presentation as a motion picture.

24.	to lighten (type or areas of a line engraving) by etching a regular pattern of dots or lines into the printing surface.

–verb (used without object)

25.	to be projected on a motion-picture screen.

–noun

1.	Computers. the programs used to direct the operation of a computer, as well as documentation giving instructions on how to use them. Compare hardware (def. 5).

2.	anything that is not hardware but is used with hardware, esp. audiovisual materials, as film, tapes, records, etc.: a studio fully equipped but lacking software.

3.	Television Slang. prepackaged cce materials, as movies or reruns, used to fill out the major part of a station's program schedule.