contact
noun
Contact — the point where two things meet, closely enough to touch
Definition
Close interaction; "they kept in daily contact"; "they claimed that they had been in contact with extraterrestrial beings"
In depth
Contact is close interaction or connection between two or more parties, ranging from literal physical touch to ongoing communication maintained across distance. The word can describe a single brief encounter or an enduring relationship, its meaning always anchored in the idea of closeness, however that closeness is achieved.
Origin
The word descends from Latin contactus, a touching, from contingere, to touch closely, formed from con- (together) and tangere (to touch) — the same root behind 'tangent' and 'tangible.' Its core image of touching together underlies every figurative extension, from physical contact to the more abstract sense of remaining socially or professionally connected across distance.
Usage examples
"They kept in daily contact during the long deployment, even when there was little to say."
"Skin contact, the doctor explained, was often more soothing to newborns than any other comfort."
"She had lost contact with most of her childhood friends, scattered now across half the world."
How to use it
Contact is versatile across physical, social, and technical registers, equally natural describing two surfaces touching or two people remaining in touch across years of separation. It also functions as a noun for a person within one's network, as in 'a useful contact.'
Related concepts
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