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touchstone

noun

touch·​stone ˈtəch-ˌstōn How to pronounce touchstone (audio)
plural touchstones
1
: a fundamental or quintessential part or feature : basis
a touchstone film of that decade
now considered a touchstone of the city's life Michael Specter
2
: a test or criterion for determining the quality or genuineness of a thing
Good service is one touchstone of a first-class restaurant.
3
: a black siliceous stone related to flint that is used to test the purity of gold and formerly silver by the streak left on the stone when rubbed by the metal

Did you know?

Since the early 16th century, touchstone has referred to a particular kind of siliceous stone (that is, stone containing silica) used to do a particular job: determine the purity of precious metals. The process involves comparing marks made by rubbing a sample of a metal of known purity to marks made by a metal of unknown purity. The method is accurate enough in the case of determining the purity of gold that it is still in use today. Figurative use extended from this literal use, with touchstone functioning as a word for a test or criterion to determine the quality of a thing, and later to refer to a fundamental or quintessential part or feature of something.

Synonyms

Choose the Right Synonym for touchstone

standard, criterion, gauge, yardstick, touchstone mean a means of determining what a thing should be.

standard applies to any definite rule, principle, or measure established by authority.

standards of behavior

criterion may apply to anything used as a test of quality whether formulated as a rule or principle or not.

questioned the critic's criteria for excellence

gauge applies to a means of testing a particular dimension (such as thickness, depth, diameter) or figuratively a particular quality or aspect.

polls as a gauge of voter dissatisfaction

yardstick is an informal substitute for criterion that suggests quantity more often than quality.

housing construction as a yardstick of economic growth

touchstone suggests a simple test of the authenticity or value of something intangible.

fine service is one touchstone of a first-class restaurant

Example Sentences

Good service is one touchstone of a first-class restaurant. his book has long been a touchstone for travel writing that aspires to be literature
Recent Examples on the Web Hinton’s work is a particular touchstone for Harjo. David Treuer, The Atlantic, 1 Aug. 2022 VidCon traditionally has been a cultural touchstone for internet celebrities. Morgan Sung, NBC News, 22 June 2022 The images would hopefully serve as a touchstone for others exploring their own relationships with their bodies after having children. Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2022 With Nicholson as Bobby, an alienated antihero who flees his patrician clan, along with its famously ambiguous ending, the film came to be enshrined as a touchstone of ’70s American cinema. Dennis Lim, BostonGlobe.com, 25 July 2022 Millennials and younger Gen Xers have long held opinions on the rock & roll star as a problematic touchstone in musical history, leaving him with a complicated legacy over the years. Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 27 June 2022 The novel resurfaced as a cultural touchstone in recent years. Jaclyn Peiser, Washington Post, 24 May 2022 These personas can guide the team working on the project by serving as a touchstone that can be referred back to throughout the process. Jaime Hunt, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2022 Delgado had cited the PBS show’s importance as a cultural touchstone in the way people of color were depicted on TV. Brian Lowry, CNN, 10 Mar. 2022 See More

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of touchstone was in 1530

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