Alexander Schmidt, Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary

Touch, vb. 1) to come in contact with in any manner, but particularly by means of the hand: “t. but my lips with those fair lips of thine,” Ven. 115. “to t. the fire,” Ven. 115 “though neither eyes nor ears, to hear nor see, yet should I be in love by --ing thee,” Ven. 115 “but to t. the crown,” Lucr. 216. “the boy for trial needs would t. my breast,” Sonn. 153, 10. Pilgr. 49. Tp. II, 2, 105. V, 286. Wiv. V, 5, 88. Err. II, 1, 111. II, 2, 120. Ado III, 3, 60. Merch. I, 1, 32. Shr. IV, 1, 96. Tw. II, 5, 171. R2 I, 3, 43. II, 3, 91. H4B IV, 1, 17 “(t. ground and dash themselves to pieces).” H5 III Chor. H5 III Chor. III, 7, 17. H6A II, 5, 39. V, 3, 47. H8 I, 4, 75. Troil. I, 3, 304. III, 1, 164. Rom. I, 5, 53. Rom. I, 5, 53 II, 2, 25. Caes. I, 2, 7. Caes. I, 2, 7 Ant. V, 2, 246. Cymb. V, 3, 78. Per. I, 1, 28. Per. I, 1, 28 Per. I, 1, 28 V, 3, 75. Used of kissing and other amorous actions: “that you have --ed his queen forbiddenly,” Wint. I, 2, 416. “t. her soft mouth and march,” H5 II, 3, 61. “the sun no sooner shall the mountains t.” Hml. IV, 1, 29 (cf. below def. 8). “that I might t.! but kiss, one kiss,” Cymb. II, 2, 16. “on the --ing of her lips,” Per. V, 3, 42.
2) to take as food or drink, to taste: “she --ed no unknown baits,” Lucr. 103. Pilgr. 53. “to t. no food,” LLL I, 1, 39. “he dies that --es any of this fruit,” As II, 7, 98. “I will not t. a bit,” As II, 7, 98 I am forbid to t. it (burnt meat) Shr. IV, 1, 174. “before you t. the meat,” IV, 3, 46. “or t. one drop of it,” V, 2, 145. “ready to starve and dare not t. his own,” H6B I, 2, 229. Similarly: “never durst poet t. a pen to write,” LLL IV, 3, 346.
3) to strike, to hurt, to injure: “no loss shall t. her by my company,” Meas. III, 1, 181. “that no particular scandal once can t.” IV, 4, 30. “this --es me in reputation,” Err. IV, 1, 71. “t. her whoever dare,” Shr. III, 2, 235. “they shall not t. thee,” Shr. III, 2, 235 “do not t. my lord,” All's III, 2, 114. “he will not t. young Arthur's life,” John III, 4, 160. “I will not t. thine eye,” IV, 1, 122. “the lion will not t. the true prince,” H4A II, 4, 300. “that face of his the hungry cannibals would not have --ed,” H6C I, 4, 153. “he would not then have --ed them,” Tit. II, 4, 47. “he that --es this my son,” IV, 2, 92. “I have --ed thee to the quick,” IV, 4, 36. “t. not the boy,” V, 1, 49. “seeing his reputation --ed to death,” Tim. III, 5, 19. “shall no man else be --ed but only Caesar?” Caes. II, 1, 154. “what villain --ed his body,” IV, 3, 20. nor steel, nor poison “. . . can t. him further,” Mcb. III, 2, 26. “he hath not --ed you yet,” IV, 3, 14. “they cannot t. me for coining,” Lr. IV, 6, 83. “with shame -- the first that ever --ed him --,” Cymb. III, 1, 25. “heavens, how deeply you at once do t. me,” IV, 3, 4. “some mortally, some slightly --ed,” V, 3, 10.
4) to hit, to come near: “a loss in love that --es me more nearly,” Sonn. 42, 4. “ay, t. him, there's the vein,” Meas. II, 2, 70. “you --ed my vein at first,” As II, 7, 94. “when his holy state is --ed so near,” H6A III, 1, 58. “to t. his growth nearer than he --ed mine,” R3 II, 4, 25. “there you --ed the life of our design,” Troil. II, 2, 194. “t. me not so near,” Oth. II, 3, 220.
5) to land, to come to shore; absol.: “our ship hath --ed upon the deserts of Bohemia,” Wint. III, 3, 1. Trans.: “by his command have I here --ed Sicilia,” Wint. V, 1, 139. “shortly mean to t. our northern shore,” R2 II, 1, 288. “he --ed the ports desired,” Troil. II, 2, 76.
6) to reach, to attain: “--ing now the point of human skill,” Mids. II, 2, 119. “where fathom-line could never t. the ground,” H4A I, 3, 204. “I have --ed the highest point of all my greatness,” H8 III, 2, 223. “if he will t. the estimate,” Tim. I, 1, 14 (pay the price at which it is estimated). “hills whose heads t. heaven,” Oth. I, 3, 141. “thy thoughts t. their effects in this,” Ant. V, 2, 333 (are realized).
7) to test by the touchstone, to probe, to try: “which, being --ed and tried, proves valueless,” John III, 1, 100. “had --ed his spirit and tried his inclination,” Cor. II, 3, 199. “they have all been --ed and found base metal,” Tim. III, 3, 6. “t. them with several fortunes,” IV, 3, 5. “a suit wherein I mean to t. your love indeed,” Oth. III, 3, 81.
8) to handle in a skilful manner; a) to play on as a musician: “before you t. the instrument,” Shr. III, 1, 64. “t. thy instrument a strain or two,” Caes. IV, 3, 257. b) to paint or to form as an artist: “such heavenly touches ne'er --ed earthly faces,” Sonn. 17, 8. “spirits are not finely --ed but to fine issues,” Meas. I, 1, 36. cf. “whose beard the silver hand of peace hath --ed,” H4B IV, 1, 43; “the sun no sooner shall the mountains t.” Hml. IV, 1, 29 (gild their summits. In both the latter passages a combination of different significations).
9) to mention in speaking: “but t. this sparingly,” R3 III, 5, 93. “--ed you the bastardy of Edward's children?” III, 7, 4. “nearer than your particular demands will t. it,” Hml. II, 1, 12. “t. you the sourest points with sweetest terms,” Ant. II, 2, 24.
10) to relate to, to concern: “some affairs that t. me near,” Gent. III, 1, 60. “the contempts thereof are as --ing me,” LLL I, 1, 191. “it --eth us both . . . to labour and effect one thing specially,” Shr. I, 1, 118. “to treat of high affairs --ing that time,” John I, 101. “the quarrel --eth none but us alone,” H6A IV, 1, 118. R3 I, 3, 262. II, 3, 26. III, 2, 23. Troil. II, 2, 9. Troil. II, 2, 9 Cor. III, 1, 123. Caes. III, 1, 7. Caes. III, 1, 7 Hml. I, 3, 89. III, 2, 252. IV, 5, 207 (if they find us --ed; i. e. accessary to the deed). Lr. V, 1, 25. Oth. IV, 1, 209.
--ing == concerning: “we may soon our satisfaction have --ing that point,” Meas. I, 1, 84. H5 II, 2, 174. H6A III, 1, 50. H6B II, 3, 89. H6C II, 1, 119. III, 3, 136. Cor. I, 1, 155. Hml. I, 1, 25. I, 5, 137. Oth. II, 1, 32. Cymb. III, 5, 100. as --ing, in the same sense: LLL IV, 1, 123. H5 I, 1, 79. III, 2, 102. III, 2, 102 R3 V, 3, 271.
11) to affect in any manner: a) applied to the senses: “if any air of music t. their ears,” Merch. V, 76 (is heard by them). they (her words) “--ed not any stranger sense,” All's I, 3, 114. “my name hath --ed your ears,” Cor. V, 2, 11. “if the drink . . . t. my palate adversely,” II, 1, 61.
b) == to infect: “that I am --ed with madness,” Meas. V, 51. “to be --ed with so many giddy offences,” As III, 2, 366. “--ed with that malignant cause,” All's II, 1, 113. “the life of all his blood is --ed corruptibly,” John V, 7, 2. “I'll t. my point with this contagion,” Hml. IV, 7, 147. cf. sub d: Ado III, 2, 19. Shr. I, 1, 166.
c) to move, to rouse: “which --ed the very virtue of compassion in thee,” Tp. I, 2, 26. “my patience here is --ed,” Meas. V, 235. “their familiarity, which was as gross as ever --ed conjecture,” Wint. II, 1, 176.
d) to make an impression on, to move, to strike mentally, to fill with passion or a tender feeling: “how seems he to be --ed?” Meas. IV, 2, 148. “how dearly would it t. thee to the quick,” Err. II, 2, 132. “if love have --ed you, nought remains but so,” Shr. I, 1, 166. “he is --ed to the noble heart,” Wint. III, 2, 222. “this deep disgrace in brotherhood --es me deeper than you can imagine,” R3 I, 1, 112. “his curses and his blessings t. me alike,” H8 II, 2, 54. “insupportable and --ing loss,” Caes. IV, 3, 151. “how Antony is --ed with what is spoke already,” Ant. II, 2, 142. “Caesar is --ed,” V, 1, 33. “I think the king be --ed at very heart,” Cymb. I, 1, 10. Followed by with, to denote the passion or feeling inspired: “--ed with anger,” Tp. IV, 145. “if so your heart were --ed with that remorse,” Meas. II, 2, 54. “to be truly --ed with love,” Ado III, 2, 19. “--ed with human gentleness and love,” Merch. IV, 1, 25. “--ed with choler,” H5 IV, 7, 188. “t. me with noble anger,” Lr. II, 4, 279. “--es us not with pity,” V, 3, 232.