Clay promptly withdrew again and hurried across to the window. It opened at a touch and gave on to a wide courtyard.
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4The window opened very easily. Clay needed barely to touch it, and it opened.– CowperKettleCommented Dec 16, 2015 at 1:36
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2He opened the window by touching it.– Ghaith AlrestomCommented Dec 16, 2015 at 1:36
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Even more interesting is "gave onto".– TimRCommented Dec 16, 2015 at 3:02
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2 Answers
The window opened very easily. Clay needed barely to touch it, and it opened.
The meaning is most likely not literal. Clay might've made a more comprehensive movement than just a single touch to open the window; but that is irrelevant for this narrative; the author needed to stress the fact that it opened easily.
From the grammar standpoint, touch is a noun, a singular countable noun, as evidenced by the use of the indefinite article a. "The window opened at one touch", or "at a single touch".
Compare with the expression at a glance:
At a glance: (idiomatic) Upon cursory examination; an abbreviated review. "At a glance it seems that he is a nice guy, but upon digging deeper the truth emerges."
answered Dec 16, 2015 at 1:52
The word touch is a very common word used as a verb or noun.
In the sentence presented, it's a countable noun that means a light movement or placement of a part of your body, specially your hand on the window.
The window opened only on a light movement of a part of your body, most probably your hand, and it provided a view of a wide courtyard.
