touchstone
noun
Michael Specter
Did you know?
Since the early 16th century, touchstone has referred to a particular kind of siliceous stone (that is, stone containing silica) used to do a particular job: determine the purity of precious metals. The process involves comparing marks made by rubbing a sample of a metal of known purity to marks made by a metal of unknown purity. The method is accurate enough in the case of determining the purity of gold that it is still in use today. Figurative use extended from this literal use, with touchstone functioning as a word for a test or criterion to determine the quality of a thing, and later to refer to a fundamental or quintessential part or feature of something.
Examples of touchstone in a Sentence
Umang Modi, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
But like so many cultural touchstones in American history, the 1960s changed things.
—Rance Collins, IndieWire, 22 June 2025
The Close Encounters references definitely shout out that sci-fi landmark’s influence, but the bigger touchstone here is a different Spielberg movie that mixes cosmic bonding and misfit kids.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 19 June 2025
When Whitney Houston delivered her iconic performance at the 1994 American Music Awards, or when Beyoncé announced her pregnancy at the 2011 VMAs, these were cultural touchstones.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for touchstone
Cite this Entry
“Touchstone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/touchstone. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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touchstone
noun
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