ἁφή

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. EN 1118b1, de An. 424a12; ἀκριβεστάτην . . τῶν αἰσθήσεων τὴν ἁφήν Id. HA 494b16; 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 IG 4.955 (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. GC 326b12, 327a12; ligament, Ep. Eph. 4.16, Ep.Col. 2.19.