touchstone
Standard for judging
A touchstone is a standard by which something is judged or evaluated: Her first novel remains the touchstone against which her later work is measured.
The word comes from a black stone once used to test gold and silver—rubbing metal against it left a streak that revealed the metal's purity.
The figurative sense now dominates: a touchstone is any reliable test or benchmark.
Standard for comparison
- yardstickThirty-six-inch ruler
- measureUnit of quantity
- gaugeStandard of measurement
- criterionStandard for judgment
baseline · reference · barometer · indicator · norm · metric · parameter · scale
Compositional evaluation procedure
- verificationProving something accurate
- validationConfirming truth or accuracy
- proofDemonstration of truth
- confirmationEstablishing something as true
authentication · genuineness · legitimacy · credibility · trustworthiness · reliability · purity test · quality control
Typical perfect instance
- paradigmGoverning framework of thought
- modelRepresentation or paradigm
- prototypeFirst functional specimen
- templatePreset pattern for reproduction
ideal · canon · paragon · epitome · quintessence · standard-bearer · classic · byword
Foundational building block
- bedrockSolid stone underground
- pillarUpright architectural support
- keystoneArch's central locking stone
- linchpinVital securing element
anchor · lodestone · guiding principle · north star · compass · fundamental · grounding · ethos
Surface for mineral identification
- assayingTesting mineral content
- precious metalsRare, valuable metallic elements
- jewelerGem and metal artisan
- purityUncontaminated quality
karat · fineness · metallurgy · prospector · goldsmith · siliceous
benchmark
Standard for comparison
criterion · baseline · reference · barometer · indicator · norm · metric · parameter · scale · rubric
assay
Compositional evaluation procedure
- verificationProving something accurate
- validationConfirming truth or accuracy
- proofDemonstration of truth
confirmation · authentication · genuineness · legitimacy · credibility · trustworthiness · reliability · purity test · quality control · vetting
exemplar
Typical perfect instance
- paradigmGoverning framework of thought
- modelRepresentation or paradigm
- prototypeFirst functional specimen
template · ideal · canon · paragon · epitome · quintessence · standard-bearer · classic · byword · embodiment
cornerstone
Foundational building block
- bedrockSolid stone underground
- pillarUpright architectural support
- keystoneArch's central locking stone
linchpin · anchor · lodestone · guiding principle · north star · compass · fundamental · grounding · ethos · tenet
streak plate
Surface for mineral identification
- assayingTesting mineral content
- precious metalsRare, valuable metallic elements
- jewelerGem and metal artisan
purity · karat · fineness · metallurgy · prospector · goldsmith · siliceous
- standardsstandard, standards, norm, norms, criterion
- Standards & Benchmarksbenchmark, yardstick, gold standard, litmus test, acid test
- idealsideal, utopia, archetypes, models, paradise
- support metaphorsrock, pillar, backbone, bedrock, safety net
- metalsmithingmetalsmithing, solder, soldering, metalworking, smithing
- assay equipmentmuffle furnace, flux, borax, aqua regia, nitric acid
touchstoneaberration
Deviation from the norm
anomaly · deviation · abnormality · outlier · exception
- cultural touchstoneUniversally recognized cultural marker