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Haptic felt its way into English in the 19th century as a back-formation of haptics, a noun which was borrowed from the New Latin hapticē (meaning "science of touch," and derived ultimately from the Greek haptesthai, meaning "to touch") in the 1700s. Haptic was originally a medical synonym for tactile. By the 20th century, it had developed a psychological sense, describing individuals whose perception supposedly depended primarily on touch rather than sight. Although almost no one today divides humans into haptic and visual personalities, English retains the broadened psychological sense of haptic as well as the older "tactile" sense.
Examples of haptic in a Sentence
Steven Aquino, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
They can be used to send haptic feedback to the driver through their seat, or for creating physical buttons that rise from interior surfaces only when they are needed.
—Alistair Charlton, WIRED, 16 Sep. 2024
This deal includes a DualSense wireless controller with haptic feedback for more immersive gameplay (the stand is sold separately).
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 7 Oct. 2024
Plus, the remote itself has haptic feedback and will alert the owner if and when warnings or corrections have been given to the dog.
—New Atlas, 3 Oct. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near haptic
Cite this Entry
“Haptic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/haptic. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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