I.a touching, touch, handling (class.).
I. Lit.: “salutantum tactu praeterque meantum,” Lucr. 1, 318: “quae (chordae) ad quemque tactum respondeant,” Cic. de Or. 3, 57, 216: “leo asper tactu,” Hor. C. 3, 2, 11; Verg. A. 2, 683; 7, 618; id. G. 3, 416; 3, 502: “tactus Assilientis aquae,” Ov. M. 6, 106: “tactuque viriles Virgineo removete manus,” id. ib. 13, 466; so, “viriles,” id. ib. 10, 434.—Prov.: “membra reformidant mollem quoque saucia tactum,” Ov. P. 2, 7, 13.—
II. Transf.
A. Influence, effect, operation: “solis,” Cic. N. D. 2, 15, 40: “lunae,” id. Div. 2, 46, 97: “caeli,” Verg. A. 3, 138: “sentio illorum tactu orationem meam quasi colorari,” Cic. de Or. 2, 14, 60.—
B. The sense of feeling, feeling, touch: “tactus corporis est sensus,” Lucr. 2, 434 sq.: “tactus toto corpore aequabiliter fusus est,” Cic. N. D. 2, 56, 141: “ut caelum sub aspectum et tactum cadat,” id. Univ. 5: “habere tactum atque gustatum,” Plin. 11, 4, 3, § 10: “Cyrenaei (dicunt) ea se sola percipere, quae tactu intimo sentiant, ut dolorem, ut voluptatem,” Cic. Ac. 2, 24, 76; cf. id. ib. 2, 7, 20: “qui ... non odore ullo, non tactu, non sapore capiatur,” id. Cael. 17, 42 (Lucr. 1, 454 is an interpolation; v. Lachm. and Munro ad loc.).