un-touchable
ə adjective
1.
that may not be touched; of a nature such that it cannot be touched; not palpable; intangible.
2.
too distant to be touched.
3.
vile or loathsome to the touch.
4.
beyond criticism, control, or suspicion: Modern writers consider no subject untouchable.
noun
5.
Hinduism. the former name given to a member of a lower caste in India whose touch was believed to defile a high-caste Hindu; Harijan. Compare scheduled caste.
6.
a person who is beyond reproach as to honesty, diligence, etc.
7.
a person disregarded or shunned by society or a particular group; social outcast: political untouchables.
8.
a person or thing considered inviolable or beyond criticism: such untouchables as Social Security in the federal budget.
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Un-touchable
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To un-touchable
Collins
World English Dictionary
untouchable (ʌnˈtʌtʃəbəl) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —adj | |
| 1. | lying beyond reach |
| 2. | above reproach, suspicion, or impeachment |
| 3. | unable to be touched |
| —n | |
| 4. | taboo a former name for Dalit |
| usage In relation to the caste system, the term untouchable is banned in both the Indian and Pakistani constitutions. | |
| untoucha'bility | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
untouchable
1567, "immaterial," from un- (1) "not" + touchable (see touch). Meaning "that legally cannot be interfered with" is recorded from 1734. Meaning "too loathsome or defiling to be touched" is recorded from 1873. The noun, in ref. to a hereditary low
caste of India, is attested from 1909; the term and the restrictions were made illegal in India in 1947. Untouched is attested from 1382.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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