ἁφή

English (LSJ)

ἡ, (ἅπτω)

   A lighting, kindling, περὶ λύχνων ἁφάς about lamp-lighting time, Hdt.7.215, cf.PTeb.88.12 (ii B. C.), D.H.11.33, D.S.19.31, Ath.12.526c.    II (ἅπτομαι) touch, ἐπώνυμον δὲ τῶν Διὸς γέννημ' ἁφῶν (Wieseler for γεννημάτων) τέξεις . . Ἔπαφον A.Pr.850.    2 sense of touch, Pl.R.523e, cf. Arist.EN1118b1, de An.424a12; ἀκριβεστάτην . . τῶν αἰσθήσεων τὴν ἁφήν Id.HA494b16; ἡ ἁφὴ ἐν ταῖς αἰσθήσεσι παρέσπαρται Luc.Salt.70.    3 touch of the harp-strings, metaph., ἐμμελοῦς ἁφῆς καὶ κρούσεως Plu.Per.15; οὐχὶ συμφώνους ἁφάς Damox. 2.42.    4 grip, in wrestling, etc., ἁφὴν ἐνδιδόναι αὑτοῦ Plu.2.86f: metaph., τοῖς ἀφληταῖς τῆς λέξεως ἰσχυρὰς τὰς ἁ. προσεῖναι δεῖ καὶ ἀφύκτους τὰς λαβάς D.H.Dem.18; ἁφὰς ἔχει καὶ τόνους ἰσχυρούς Id.Lys. 13; ἁ. εἶχεν ἡ συνδιαίτησις ἄφυκτον, of Cleopatra, Plu.Ant.27.    5 sand sprinkled over wrestlers, to enable them to get a grip of one another, Arr.Epict.3.15.4; ἁφῇ πηλώσασθαι IG4.955 (Epid., ii A. D.).    6 Math., contact of surfaces, etc., Arist.Ph.227a17, Metaph.1014b22, al.; point of contact, Euc.Phaen.p.16M., al.; of intersection, Papp. 988.9, cf. Alex.Aphr. in Top.24.16.    7 in pl., stripes, strokes, LXX 2 Ki.7.14, al.    8 infection, esp. of leprosy, ib.Le.13.6, al.: generally, plague, Aq.Ge.12.17, Aq., Sm.Ex.11.1.    III junction, point of contact in the body, Arist.GC326b12, 327a12; ligament, Ep. Eph.4.16, Ep.Col.2.19.