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Definition of touchstone

touchstone

/ˈtʌtʃˌstoʊn/
touch · stone
Plural:touchstones
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touchstone Lexical Profile

touchstone Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A fine-grained, dark siliceous stone, such as basanite or jasper, formerly used to test the purity of gold and silver alloys by observing the color of the streak left when rubbed with the metal.

Example

"The medieval goldsmith rubbed the coin against a smooth black touchstone to verify its gold content."

2

A fundamental standard or criterion by which the genuineness, value, or quality of something is judged or recognized.

Example

"The landmark Supreme Court ruling became the legal touchstone for all subsequent privacy cases."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for touchstone

• Nearby Words

touchpaper
touchpoint
touchscreen
touchstone
touchy
tough
toughen

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in Late Middle English from the verb 'touch' (in the sense of testing the purity of gold or silver by rubbing it against a surface) and 'stone', calquing Old French 'pierre de touche'.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Touchstone. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/touchstone
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