{
    "term": "touch",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a2",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "touch",
            "heSheIt": "touches"
        },
        "pastSimple": "touched",
        "pastParticiple": "touched",
        "ingForm": "touching"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to put your hand or another part of your body onto somebody/something",
            "sensetop": "touch somebody/somethingtouch somebody on somethingtouch somebody/something with something",
            "labels": "(figurative)",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Don't touch that plate—it's hot!"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Can you touch your toes? *(= bend and reach them with your hands)*"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I touched him lightly on the arm.",
                    "contextForm": "touch somebody on something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Do not touch anything with your bare hands.",
                    "contextForm": "touch somebody/something with something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He has hardly touched the ball all game."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I must do some more work on that article—I haven't touched it all week."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Don't you dare touch me!"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He accidentally touched a live wire attached to overhead power cables."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He did not actually touch the substance, but may have inhaled it."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He was close enough to touch her."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He wouldn't let me touch the wound."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Her hand reached out to touch his cheek."
                },
                {
                    "text": "His fingers briefly touched hers."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She hugged him, being careful not to touch his broken wrist."
                },
                {
                    "text": "In social groups, dolphins often touch each other with their pectoral fins."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["(not) actually", "not even", "not quite"],
                "verb + touch": [
                    "want to",
                    "(not) dare (to)",
                    "reach out, over, up, etc. to"
                ],
                "preposition": ["on", "with"],
                "phrases": [
                    "(be) careful not to touch something",
                    "close enough to touch somebody/​something"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to be or come so close together that there is no space between",
            "sensetop": "touch something",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Make sure the wires don't touch."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Their faces were almost touching."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Don't let your coat touch the wet paint.",
                    "contextForm": "touch something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "His coat was so long it was almost touching the floor."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The dancer’s feet hardly seemed to touch the ground."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "to move something, especially in such a way that you damage it; to hit or harm somebody",
            "sensetop": "touch something/somebody",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I told you not to touch my things."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He said I kicked him, but I never touched him!"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "to make somebody feel upset or emotional",
            "sensetop": "touch somebody/somethingtouch somebody/something to do something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Her story touched us all deeply.",
                    "contextForm": "touch somebody/something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "What he said really **touched my heart**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I had been touched by his kindness to my aunts."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It truly touches me to know that I am holding in my hand a piece of paper used by someone who lived in 1745.",
                    "contextForm": "touch somebody/something to do something"
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["deeply"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 5,
            "definition": "to affect somebody/something",
            "sensetop": "touch somebody/something",
            "labels": "(old-fashioned or formal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "These are issues that touch us all."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The life of a shepherd has been only marginally touched by technological change."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Even the most remote areas are now directly touched by political, educational and medical advances."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 6,
            "definition": "to eat, drink or use something",
            "sensetop": "touch something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "You've hardly touched your food."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He hasn't touched the money his aunt left him."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 7,
            "definition": "to be as good as somebody in skill, quality, etc.",
            "sensetop": "touch somebody",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "No one can touch him when it comes to interior design."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 8,
            "definition": "to reach a particular level, etc.",
            "sensetop": "touch something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The speedometer was touching 90."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 9,
            "definition": "to become connected with or work with a situation or person",
            "sensetop": "touch something/somebody",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Everything she touches turns to disaster."
                },
                {
                    "text": "His last two movies have been complete flops and now no studio will touch him."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 10,
            "definition": "to be seen on somebody’s face for a short time",
            "sensetop": "touch something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "A smile touched the corners of his mouth."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to have a small amount of a particular quality",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "His hair was touched with grey."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Some of her poems are touched with real genius."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to upset somebody by reminding them of something they are particularly sensitive about",
            "labels": "(British English)",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to mention a subject that makes somebody feel angry, upset, embarrassed, etc.",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "You touched a raw nerve when you mentioned his first wife."
                },
                {
                    "text": "My remarks about divorce had unwittingly touched a raw nerve."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The article struck a raw nerve as it revived unpleasant memories."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Feelings"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to not hurt somebody physically in any way",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to refuse to get involved with somebody/something or in a particular situation",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Personally, I wouldn’t touch him or his business with a bargepole."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to say or do something that makes people feel sympathy or enthusiasm",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The speaker had obviously struck a chord with his audience."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to make contact with somebody again",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to reach the ground at the bottom of an area of water",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I put my feet down and touched bottom."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to reach the worst possible state or condition",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Her career really touched bottom with that movie."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to say or do something that makes people feel sympathy or enthusiasm",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The speaker had obviously touched a chord with his audience."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to show too much respect for somebody of a higher class, especially because you are anxious about what they think of you",
            "labels": "(British English, disapproving)",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used when talking about your previous good luck or your hopes for the future, to avoid bringing bad luck",
            "labels": "(saying)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I've been driving for over 20 years and never had an accident—touch wood!"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "very close",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "We came within touching distance of winning the cup."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We live within spitting distance of the bus station."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/tʌtʃ/",
                "audio": "to/touch/touch__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈtʌtʃɪz/",
                "audio": "to/touch/touches__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/tʌtʃt/",
                "audio": "to/touch/touched__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈtʌtʃɪŋ/",
                "audio": "to/touch/touching__gb_2.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/tʌtʃ/",
                "audio": "to/touch/touch__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈtʌtʃɪz/",
                "audio": "to/touch/touches__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/tʌtʃt/",
                "audio": "to/touch/touched__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈtʌtʃɪŋ/",
                "audio": "to/touch/touching__us_2.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English: the verb from Old French tochier, probably from a Romance word of imitative origin; the noun originally from Old French touche, later (in certain senses) directly from the verb."
}