English

Noun

toucher ‎(plural touchers)

1. One who touches.
2. (bowls) A ball lying in contact with the jack.
3. (Geordie, pejorative) A toucha; one who tries to get something out of others for nothing in return.

Anagrams

• retouch

French

Etymology

From Middle French toucher, touchier, from Old French tochier, touchier, tucher (compare French doublet toquer "to offend"), from unattested Vulgar Latin *toccāre ‎(“to knock, strike, offend”), from Frankish *tokkōn, *tukkōn ‎(“to touch”), from Proto-Germanic *tukkōną, *tukkijaną ‎(“to jerk, knock, strike, offend”), from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- ‎(“to lead, pull, draw”), influenced by proximity to similar forms from Proto-Germanic *tēkaną ‎(“to touch”). Cognate with Old High German zochhōn ‎(“to grasp, seize”), Old High German zuchôn ‎(“to jerk, tug”), Middle Low German tucken ‎(“to tug”), Old Dutch tocken, tucken ‎(“to touch, entise”), Old English tucian, tūcian ‎(“to mistreat, disturb, torment”), Gothic 𐍄𐌴𐌺𐌰𐌽 ‎(tekan, “to touch”), Old Norse taka ‎(“to touch grasp”), Old English tacan ‎(“to touch, take”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tu.ʃe/
• Rhymes: -e
• Homophones: touchai, touché, touchée, touchées, touchers, touchés, touchez

Noun

toucher m ‎(plural touchers)

1. The act of touching (see below).
2. A way of touching.
3. The sense of touch, tactility.

Verb

toucher

1. (transitive) To touch (physically).

   Ne me touche pas !

   Don't touch me!

2. (transitive) To affect

   La maladie touche actuellement 2 millions de personnes.

   The disease currently affects 2 million people.

3. (intransitive, followed by "à") To try, to try out.

   Je n'ai jamais touché au tabac

   I've never tried tobacco

4. (intransitive, colloquial) Short for toucher sa bille. To be skillful.

   Ce mec est un ancien critique d'art. Je peux te dire qu'il touche en peinture !

   This guy is a former art critic. Believe me, he knows a thing or two about painting!

5. (transitive, money, income) to receive, to get

Conjugation

Descendants

• Dutch: toucheren

References

• Nouveau Petit Larousse illustré. Dictionnaire encyclopédique. Paris, Librairie Larousse, 1952, 146th edition

Middle French

Verb

toucher

1. to touch

Conjugation

• Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.