word-vault

{ "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." }