This is certainly touching! (7)
I believe the answer is:
contact
'touching' is the definition.
(I know that contact is a type of touching)
I can't explain the rest of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for contact that I've seen before include "Get hold of" , "Meeting" , "Close interaction" , "state of one exposed to disease" , "Useful acquaintance" .)