Lewis & Short

con-trecto (contracto), āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [tracto], to touch, handle, come in contact with, feel (class.; most freq. after the Aug. per.).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: nudum corpus aquaï, Lucr. 6, 854: pectora, Ov. M. 8, 607: omnes partes corporis inspectare et contrectare, Sen. Contr. 1, 2; cf.: membra mortuae, Suet. Ner. 34: obscena, Sen. Const. 13, 2: filium Demaeneti, Plaut. As. 3, 1, 17: librum manibus, * Hor. Ep. 1, 20, 11: vulnus, to meddle with, Ov. P. 2, 2, 60: pocula vel cibos, Col. 12, 4, 3: pecuniam, Suet. Calig. 42; cf.: pecunias vetitas, Cod. Th. 9, 23, 1, § 2.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. To touch in examining, to search: ne feminae praetextatique pueri et puellae contrectarentur, Suet. Claud. 35.
      2. 2. To touch carnally, to have illicit intercourse with, Plaut. Poen. 5, 5, 32; id. Mil. 4, 2, 61: multorum uxores, Suet. Dom. 1; Just. 7, 3, 4.
        1. b. Transf.: contrectata filiarum pudicitia, violated, dishonored, Tac. A. 14, 35.
      3. 3. In the Lat. of the jurists, to appropriate: rem alienam, Gai Inst. 3, 195; Dig. 13, 1, 20.
        1. b. Esp.: aliquid, to take by stealth, to steal, purloin, Dig. 41, 2, 3; 25, 2, 3 al.
  2. II. Trop., to contemplate, look at, consider, dwell upon: nudare corpus et contrectandum vulgi oculis permittere, Tac. A. 3, 12: mente varias voluptates, Cic. Tusc. 3, 15, 33; cf. id. de Or. 3, 6, 24: studia et disciplinas philosophiae, to apply one’s self to, Gell. 17, 19, 3.