"pertaining to the sense of touch," 1640s, from Latin tactus "a touch" (see tact) + -al (1).

mid-13c., "to end at, to border on, touch at the end," from Old French aboter, abuter "join end to end, touch with an end" (13c.), and abouter "join end to end," from à "to" (see ad-) + boter, bouter "to strike, push," from a Germanic source (ultimately from PIE root *bhau- "to strike"). Compare butt (v.). Related: Abutted; abutting.

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to touch, handle," with figurative extensions ("border on; taste, partake of; strike, hit; affect, impress; trick, cheat; mention, speak of").

It forms all or part of: attain; contact; contaminate; entire; intact; integer; integrate; integrity; noli me tangere; tact; tactics; tactile; tangent; tangible; task; taste; tax; taxis.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Latin tangere "to touch," taxare "to touch, assess," tactus "touch," integer "intact, whole, complete, perfect; honest;" Greek tassein "to arrange," tetagon "having seized;" Old English þaccian "stroke, strike gently."

1570s, from touch (v.) + wood, probably from the notion of being set alight at the touch of a spark.

1724, from Italian toccata, from toccare "to touch," from Vulgar Latin *toccare (see touch (v.)). "A composition for a keyboard instrument, intended to exhibit the touch and technique of the performer, and having the air of an improvisation" [OED].

c. 1600, "something shaved off;" from shave (v.); The Middle English noun shave (Old English sceafa) meant "tool for shaving." The meaning "operation of shaving the beard" is from 1838. The meaning "motion so close to something as to almost touch it" is by 1834. The figurative phrase close shave "exceedingly narrow miss or escape" is from 1856, on the notion of a slight, grazing touch.

c. 1300, "succeed in reaching, come so near as to touch," from ataign-, stem of Old French ataindre "to come up to, reach, attain, endeavor, strive" (11c., Modern French atteindre), from Vulgar Latin *attangere, corresponding to Latin attingere "to touch; arrive at," from ad "to" (see ad-) + tangere "to touch" (from PIE root *tag- "to touch, handle"). Latin attingere had a wide range of meanings, including "to attack, to strike, to appropriate, to manage," all somehow suggested by the literal sense "to touch." Related: Attained; attaining.

"examine by touch," by 1838, a back-formation from palpation, or else from Latin palpatus, past participle of palpare "to touch" (see palpable). Related: Palpated; palpating.

mid-15c., from Latin intactus "untouched, uninjured; undefiled, chaste; unsubdued," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + tactus, past participle of tangere "to touch," from PIE root *tag- "to touch, handle."

c. 1600, from touch + point (n.).