Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

1. contactus, a, um, Part., from 1. contingo.

2. contactus, ūs, m. [1. contingo] (except once in Sall., perh. not ante-Aug.), a touching, touch, contact.

  1. I. In gen., Verg. A. 3, 227; Ov. M. 4, 52; 11, 111; Col. 11, 3, 50; Plin. 8, 15, 16, § 40; 33, 7, 40, § 122; in plur.: viriles, Ov. M. 7, 239.
  2. II. Esp., a touching of something unclean, a contagion, infection.
    1. A. Prop., Liv. 4, 30, 8; 25, 26, 8; Tac. A. 4, 49; 6, 7.
    2. B. Trop. (several times in Tac.): neu patiamini licentiam scelerum, quasi tabem, ad integros contactu procedere, Sall. H. 1, 48, 9 Dietsch; Sen. Ira, 2, 21, 4: oculos a contactu dominationis inviolatos habebamus, Tac. Agr. 30; so, contactu valentiorum, id. H. 1, 11.
      Absol.: discedite a contactu ac dividite turbidos, Tac. A. 1, 43: contactu bellum meditari, id. H. 2, 60.