Touch
This article concerns physical and human touch. For other meanings, see Touch (disambiguation).Touching is having or getting a zero
distance; in geometry it refers especially to a
tangent line or curve (cf.
collision). This term can be used to describe interaction between any physical objects. In medicine, the colloquial term "touch" is usually replaced with
somatic senses, to better reflect the variety of mechanisms involved.
Holding or moving something is usually done by touching (exceptions include blowing or using a
magnet or
engine), but this is sometimes done indirectly (e.g., with
pliers).
Touching another person is a form of
physical intimacy and plays an important role in
human sexual behavior. Similarly, touching oneself can be
autoerotic; special is the dual feeling of a single skin contact. Touching is also integral in
physical abuse (
striking, pushing, pulling, pinching,
kicking,
strangling, etc.) and hand-to-hand
fighting.In a sentence like "I never touched him/her" and "Don't you dare to touch him/her" the term touch may be meant as
euphemism for either physical abuse or sexual touching. Touching is a form of nonverbal
communication.
In
Thailand touching someone's head is taboo.
Human babies have been observed to have enormous difficulty surviving if they do not possess a sense of touch, even if they retain sight and hearing. Babies who can perceive through touch, even without sight and hearing, fare much better. Touch can be considered a basic sense in that nearly all life forms have a response to being touched, while only a subset have sight and hearing.
One can also be
emotionally
touched. In this metaphorical sense it refers to some action or object that evokes a sad or joyful emotion. For example, to say "I was touched by your letter" would imply the reader felt joy or sadness when reading it.
*
body contact (dance)*
frotteurism*
groping*
grappling*
haptic*
massage*
mosh*
sexual harassment*
ticklingI needed so much/ To have nothing to touch/ I've always been greedy that way.. -
Leonard Cohen, from
The Night Comes On (1984)
*
Touch as nonverbal communication*
Touch and sexuality*
skin hunger*
UK audio-visual organisation*
Touch, technology, digital arts and philosophy
