touchstone

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touch·stone

(tŭch′stōn′)

1. A hard black stone, such as jasper or basalt, formerly used to test the quality of gold or silver by comparing the streak left on the stone by one of these metals with that of a standard alloy.

2. An excellent quality or example that is used to test the excellence or genuineness of others: "the qualities of courage and vision that are the touchstones of leadership" (Henry A. Kissinger).

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

touchstone

(ˈtʌtʃˌstəʊn)

1. a criterion or standard by which judgment is made

2. (Minerals) a hard dark siliceous stone, such as basalt or jasper, that is used to test the quality of gold and silver from the colour of the streak they produce on it

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

touch•stone

(ˈtʌtʃˌstoʊn)

n.

1. a test or criterion for the qualities of a thing.

2. a black stone once used to test gold and silver by rubbing them on it.

[1475–85]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun

touchstone - a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated; "the schools comply with federal standards"; "they set the measure for all subsequent work"

criterion, standard, measure

benchmark - a standard by which something can be measured or judged; "his painting sets the benchmark of quality"

earned run average, ERA - (baseball) a measure of a pitcher's effectiveness; calculated as the average number of earned runs allowed by the pitcher for every nine innings pitched

GPA, grade point average - a measure of a student's academic achievement at a college or university; calculated by dividing the total number of grade points received by the total number attempted

procrustean bed, procrustean rule, procrustean standard - a standard that is enforced uniformly without regard to individuality

yardstick - a measure or standard used for comparison; "on what kind of yardstick is he basing his judgment?"

medium of exchange, monetary system - anything that is generally accepted as a standard of value and a measure of wealth in a particular country or region

system of measurement, metric - a system of related measures that facilitates the quantification of some particular characteristic

graduated table, ordered series, scale, scale of measurement - an ordered reference standard; "judging on a scale of 1 to 10"

standard of measurement, gauge - accepted or approved instance or example of a quantity or quality against which others are judged or measured or compared

baseline - an imaginary line or standard by which things are measured or compared; "the established a baseline for the budget"

norm - a standard or model or pattern regarded as typical; "the current middle-class norm of two children per family"

touchstone

noun standard, measure, par, criterion, norm, gauge, yardstick Job security has become the touchstone of a good job.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

touchstone

noun

A means by which individuals are compared and judged:

benchmark, criterion, gauge, mark, measure, standard, test, yardstick.

Translations

pietra di paragone

touchstone

[ˈtʌtʃstəʊn] N (lit, fig) → piedra f de toque

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

touchstone

[ˈtʌtʃstəʊn] n → aune f
Job security has become the touchstone of a good job for many employees → Pour de nombreux employés, un bon travail se mesure aujourd'hui à l'aune de la stabilité de l'emploi.touch-tone [ˈtʌtʃtəʊn] adj [telephone] → à touchestouch-type [ˌtʌtʃˈtaɪp] vi → taper sans regarder le clavier

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

touchstone

[ˈtʌtʃˌstəʊn] n → pietra di paragone

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

References in classic literature ?

Whether his religion was real, or consisted only in appearance, I shall not presume to say, as I am not possessed of any touchstone which can distinguish the true from the false.

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The woman took the thimble and examined it, weighed it, and submitted its metal to the test of the touchstone. It was a pretty thimble, though small, or it would not have fitted Adrienne's finger.

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He, however, no doubt would forgive thee, for he was the most humble-minded and courteous knight of his time, and moreover a great protector of damsels; but some there are that might have heard thee, and it would not have been well for thee in that case; for they are not all courteous or mannerly; some are ill-conditioned scoundrels; nor is it everyone that calls himself a gentleman, that is so in all respects; some are gold, others pinchbeck, and all look like gentlemen, but not all can stand the touchstone of truth.

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But the touchstone of the New Learning was the knowledge of Greek, which had been to the greater part of Europe a lost tongue.

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Contact with the stage, almost throughout its history, presents itself as a kind of touchstone, to bring out the bizarrerie, the theatrical tricks and contrasts, of the actual world.

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Death is so genuine a fact that it excludes falsehood, or betrays its emptiness; it is a touchstone that proves the gold, and dishonors the baser metal.

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Where men are congregated, conduct must be regulated by the touchstone of public opinion; and, although it is the fashion of New-York to applaud acts of charity, and to do them too in a particular manner--it is by no means usual to run to the assistance of a fellow creature who is lying in distress on a pavement.

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Who can tell if that mind, when the touchstone is applied to it, will not be found of a mean and vulgar character?

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Gold can be only known by the application of the touchstone. I will soon return, and hold further conference with thee.''

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Should not a magistrate be not merely the best administrator of the law, but the most crafty expounder of the chicanery of his profession, a steel probe to search hearts, a touchstone to try the gold which in each soul is mingled with more or less of alloy?"

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As a sort of touchstone, however, she began to speak of his kindness in conveying the aunt and niece; and though his answer was in the spirit of cutting the matter short, she believed it to indicate only his disinclination to dwell on any kindness of his own.

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You appear to me to be the very touchstone of responsibility.

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