▪ I. touching, vbl. n.
(ˈtʌtʃɪŋ)
[f. touch v. + -ing1.]
The action of the verb touch.
1. a. The action, or an act, of feeling something with the hand, etc.; the fact or state of being contiguous; touch, contact; a touch; spec. for the ‘king's evil’ (quot. 1704).
| c 1290 St. Lucy 33 in S. Eng. Leg. I. 102 Þoruȝ touchingue of seinte Agace toumbe þouȝ schalt beo hol a-non. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1906) 58 Leude touchinge and handelyng sterithe and chafithe the flesshe. 1561 T. Norton Calvin's Inst. iv. xix. (1634) 723 Some he healed with touchings, other some with his word. a 1657 Sir W. Mure Misc. Poems xi. 6 Hands, forbeare to tuich Oght ȝo{supr} tuiching can bewitch! 1704 Lond. Gaz. No. 4020/4 Her Majesty thinking it necessary to discontinue Touching for this Season. 1842 Tennyson Locksley Hall 38 Our spirits rush'd together at the touching of the lips. |
† b. The sense of touch. Obs.
| c 1460 Wisdom 1105 in Macro Plays 72 By towchynge, I felte peyne smerte. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems ix. 12 My wittis fyve,—In hering, seing, gusting, twiching, and smelling. 1656 Stanley Hist. Philos. v. (1701) 189/1 The sense of Touching. 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) II. 179 The closer senses, if I may so call them, such as smelling, tasting, and touching, are..as simple as they are limited. |
c. In various spec. senses: see the verb; also with up: see touch v. 34 c.
| 1671 Milton P.R. ii. 370 No interdict Defends the touching of these viands pure. 1705 Derham in Phil. Trans. XXV. 2143 This way of Touching [with a magnet]. 1833 T. Hook Parson's Dau. iii. xii, The only difference between the passages is the frequency of touching in the one case. 1908 H. B. Morse Trade Chinese Emp. 148 A lot of sixty [silver ingots] of which I saw the weighing and touching. 1973 C. Mullard Black Britain vii. 87 Both employees had for some months been practising a mild form of homosexuality—‘touching up’. 1980 J. Scott Gospel Lamb iii. 51 Touchings-up were frequent—the girls seemed as eager as the boys. |
d. In reference to painting, or artistic or other work; also with up: see touch v. 10, 34 a.
| 1781 Sir J. Reynolds Journ. Flanders, etc. Wks. 1797 II. 87 [Tenier's] manner of touching, or what we call handling, has perhaps never been equalled. 1825 J. Nicholson Operat. Mechanic 465 The several touchings and retouchings requisite. 1902 Athenæum 26 Apr. 538/3 The touchings-up of the Gavotte were in the worst possible taste. 1936 Burlington Mag. May 208/1 The artist's later touching-up. 1957 Practical Wireless XXXIII. 558/1 ‘Look Back to Lyttleton’ was a novel by Caryl Brahms, which had been laid aside for touching up and taken out as suitable material for a radio play. |
e. slang. Getting hold of money, as by theft, or pocket-picking; also bribery (? obs.): see touch v. 15, 16.
| 1726 C. D'Anvers Craftsman No. 32 (ed. 3) 299 If once he gives himself up to touching..I give him over as incurable. 1896 A. Morrison Child of the Jago 231 It would never do to go home without touching. |
2. In various fig. senses: Mention, treatment or discussion; affecting or injuring; † charging, accusation, etc.
| a 1400 Hylton Scala Perf. (W. de W. 1494) i. ii, Made bi the presence and the touchyng of a good angell. 1410 in Proc. Privy Council (1834) I. 326 And yf by that mocioun and touchyngge the forseide Emonde may fele the forseide Duc be ther of righte desirous. 1590 Sir J. Smyth Disc. Weapons Ded. 13 Is no other but a blaspheming and offending of God in the highest degree, a touching of the honour of the Princes. a 1625 Sir H. Finch Law (1636) 185 The touching of him with some hainous crime. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 34 ¶6 To commend my Prudence in not touching upon the Army. |
† 3. Building. (pl.) Projections from the foundations of a building, from which those of the adjoining building are begun. Obs.
| 1663 Gerbier Counsel 50 To cause the foundation of the intended building to be generally laid, without leaving any toutchings. |
4. attrib., as touching-distance; touching-distant adj. (poet.); touching-stuff, in engraving, a composition of cork ashes, ivory-black, gall, and treacle, used for touching up the dark parts of a plate (Cent. Dict.).
| 1881 W. Whitman Leaves of Grass (new ed.) 352 Thy touching-distant beams. 1884 J. Tait Mind in Matter (1892) 314 ‘Criticism’ has never reached nearer than touching-distance to the extreme outworks of divine truth. |
▪ II. ˈtouching, ppl. a.
Forms: see touch v.
[f. as prec. + -ing2.]
That touches: in various senses of the verb.
1. lit.: chiefly of things: Coming into, or being in contact.
| 1674 N. Fairfax Bulk & Selv. 113 Because this touching draught is more broken in some, and more tight in others. 1875 Knight Dict. Mech. s.v. Riding-part, The joint part of a scissors-blade which forms the touching portion back of the rivet. |
2. fig. That touches the feelings or emotions; such as to excite tender feeling or sympathy; affecting, pathetic. (The usual sense.)
In quot. 1508, ? ‘sharp’, satirical or reproachful.
| 1508 Dunbar Tua Mariit Wemen 303, I wald ryght tuichand in talk be. 1601 Shakes. Jul. C. iv. iii. 151 O insupportable, and touching losse! 1742 Young Nt. Th. iii. 240 If not forgot my touching tale. 1823 Scott Peveril xiii, So touching, also, in her simplicity and purity of thought. 1870 Huxley Lay Serm. iii. (1874) 30 A touching faith in the efficacy of acts of parliament. |
▪ III. ˈtouching, prep. Now somewhat arch.
Forms: see touch v.; also 4 -end(e, 4, 5 Sc. -and(e.
[The pres. pple. of touch v. used prepositionally; cf. concerning prep. Prob. after F. touchant, used in the same way: see also touchant.]
1. (introd.) Where touching is in concord with a prec. n. or pron., and may be rendered ‘that refers or relates to’ (touch v. 18, 20). In later use passing into 2. (Cf. concerning prep. 1.)
| c 1350 Will. Palerne 1383 For þe tyding þat þei told touchend hire fader. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 10 The visioun touchand the first tyme of the soroufull persecucioun. 1542 Hen. VIII in Buccleuch MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm.) I. 221 Certeine thinges..towching vs and..our Realme. 1621 H. Elsing Debates Ho. Lords (Camden) 129 There was debate touching Sir Gyles Mompesson. 1709–10 Steele Tatler No. 145 ¶1 A late Request..touching the Care of a young Daughter. 1867 Freeman Norm. Conq. I. iv. 196 note, The dealings of the Assembly touching the abdication of Rolf. |
2. Without concord, becoming entirely prepositional: In reference or relation to; as to, respecting, regarding; in the way of mentioning or treating of; concerning, about. (Cf. concerning prep. 2.)
| c 1375 Cursor M. 23011 (Fairf.) Saint austin sais touchand [C., G. enent, T. of] þat day Is nane can goddis consail say. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xxiii. 107 Wonder sutell of witte towchand any thing þat þai will do. 1513 Douglas æneis xii. Prol. 271 Twichand the lattyr buke of Dan Virgill. 1594 T. B. La Primaud. Fr. Acad. ii. 49 The composition of the head touching the bones thereof. 1611 Bible Transl. Pref. 5 This may suffice touching the Greeke translations of the old Testament. 1771 Smollett Humph. Cl. 17 Apr., The master of the company being sent for, and examined touching the said Wilson. 1855 Dickens Dorrit ii. xxviii, Touching the bargain, your..mother was a little too calm. |
3. Preceded by as. (Cf. concerning prep. 3.)
| c 1386 Chaucer Frankl. T. 685 Mo than a thousand stories..Koude I now telle as touchynge this mateere. 1428 Munim. de Melros (Bann. Cl.) 521 As twichand þe plew of land in þe husbandry..þe assis saide it nedit na departisoun. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon lix. 203 What counsell wyl ye geue me as touchyng y⊇ admyrall? 1601 Holland Pliny x. xxxii. I. 287 As touching the Guls or Sea-cobs, they build in rockes. 1780 M. Madan Thelyphthora (1781) I. 105 The exceeding ignorance of mankind as touching the acts and dispensations of that infinitely wise Being. 1890 Freeman in W. R. W. Stephens Life & Lett. (1895) II. 420 Your facts are very valuable, specially as touching your own stay in Crete. |
† 4. Followed by of or to (and mostly preceded by as as in 3), forming a prepositional phr. Obs.
as touching for in Paston Lett. is app. a confusion between as touching and as for.
| 1390 Gower Conf. I. 307 Now tell me forth if ther be more As touchende unto Wraththes lore. Ibid. III. 174 And as touchende of this bataille, Thou schalt noght of the sothe faile. 1417–19 Paston Lett. I. 10 As towchyng to the derth of vytayles withyn thys..Cytee. ? 1450 Ibid. 161 As towchyng for tydyngs, I can none. 1523 [Coverdale] Old God & New (1534) P j, Speake as towchyng to y⊇ workes of theym selues. |