touchstone

[tuhch-stohn]

noun

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.

touchstone

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of touchstone¹

First recorded in 1475–85; touch + stone

Example Sentences

Cowley worked his magic again in launching Jack Kerouac’s career, spending years talking up and excerpting “On the Road” in magazines before publishing the 1957 Beat touchstone with Viking to immediate acclaim.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He is not only a worthy successor to the legend of Tommy Lasorda, he has won more than Lasorda while serving as the perfect face for the organization and a calming touchstone for its players.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Diaz points to a couple of touchstones for her LP’s bare-bones approach, among them Patty Griffin’s “Living With Ghosts” — “a star in Orion’s Belt,” as she puts it — and “obviously Joni Mitchell’s ‘Blue,’ ” she says.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

For more than a century, Mexican officials have called the penacho a cultural touchstone and sought its return from Austria — despite no evidence that Moctezuma actually wore it.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But, he added, the challenge was to transform the cultural touchstone into a "recurring comedic gimmick".

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• barometer 
• criterion