touchstone

American  

[tuhch-stohn] / ˈtʌtʃˌstoʊn /

noun

• touchstones
  plural

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

   Synonyms:

   pattern, model, measure, standard

2. a black siliceous stone formerly used to test the purity of gold and silver by the color of the streak produced on it by rubbing it with either metal.

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touchstone British  

/ ˈtʌtʃˌstəʊn /

noun

1. a criterion or standard by which judgment is made

2. 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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• touchstones
  plural

Etymology

Origin of touchstone

First recorded in 1475–85; touch + stone

Explanation

Use the noun touchstone to describe a basis for comparison. For example, a filmmaker's touchstone might be her all-time favorite movie; she wants her movie to be that good or similar to it in some way. Touchstone as it is defined today comes from an actual stone. In the late 15th century, gold and silver was rubbed, or touched against black quartz — the touchstone — to determine the purity of the metals. This was done by looking at the color of the streaks left on the stone. This is why a touchstone, in the figurative sense as it is used today, is a measuring tool.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

touchstone touchstones

"The Moon is a kind of touchstone for us - and an important conceptual stepping stone on our way to Mercury."

From Science Daily ● Sep. 12, 2026

She, like Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith who came before her, remains an enduring touchstone of black musical culture.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

For color, Tiernan referenced early hand-tinting of black and white, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s Technicolor masterpiece “The Red Shoes” and Alfred Hitchcock’s dreamlike “Vertigo,” which was his touchstone.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

The film, which also featured Brad Pitt in his first major film role, was a critical and popular success while also becoming a feminist touchstone.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026

Do certain events in our lives leave a permanent mark, freezing a piece of us in time, and that becomes a touchstone that we measure the rest of our lives against?

From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson

CNN inexplicably settles for photos over video way too often and races through so many touchstones that the series often lacks sports context.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

Writer-director Jane Schoenbrun will pelt the audience with references to other touchstones as the movie proceeds, including the slasher “Sleepaway Camp” and the David Lynch masterpiece “Mulholland Drive.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

And just always having that through line of, “What were the touchstones of Carolyn as a young woman, and where did I want her to end up physically?”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026

And of course, Bad Bunny is hugely popular across the United States, which has among the largest Spanish-speaking populations globally -- so why wouldn't he take part in one of the country's cultural touchstones?

From Barron's ● Jan. 31, 2026

Family mottoes, touchstones, prayers of sorts, they boasted of honor and glory, promised loyalty and truth, swore faith and courage.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

Related Words

• barometer
• criterion