touchstone
pronunciation
How to pronounce touchstone in British English:
UK [ˈtʌtʃstəʊn]
How to pronounce touchstone in American English:
US [ˈtʌtʃstoʊn]
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- Noun:
- a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated
Word Origin
- touchstone (n.)
- late 15c., from touch (v.) in the Middle English sense "to test" (metal) + stone (n.). Fine-grained black quartz, used for testing the quality of gold and silver alloys by the color of the streak made by rubbing them on it. Also see basalt. Figurative sense is from 1530s.
Example
- 1. That pay has become a touchstone is no surprise .
- 2. But the metal is something of a touchstone on the supply side , too .
- 3. In fact , bara is a national political touchstone as much as a soccer team .
- 4. The concentration on one idea , which audrey represented , was a touchstone for me .
- 5. Egypt is the most important arab country and the touchstone for change in the arab world .