touchstone

CEFRC1

/ˈtʌt͡ʃstəʊn/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A standard used to judge the quality or value of something.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A standard of comparison or evaluation.

Examples

  • A touchstone is a standard by which something is judged or valued.

  • His first book became a touchstone for many future writers.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
4
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
1

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A surname.

  2. A stone used to verify the quality of gold alloys by rubbing them in order to leave a visible trace.

More examples

In context

  • The classic novel remains a touchstone for modern literature.

  • Near-synonym: comparator

  • The foregoing doctrine affords us also a touchstone for the trial of spirits.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

Honesty is the blank against which all leaders should always be measured.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From touch + stone.