touchstone

IPA/ˈtʌtʃstəʊn/
KK[tˈʌtʃstˌon]IPA/ˈtʌtʃstəʊn/

touchstone — noun

  • touchstonesingular
  • touchstonesplural

1. a trusted standard that people use to decide the quality, value, or truth of som

1.名詞C1
釋義

a trusted standard that people use to decide the quality, value, or truth of something — for example, a highly respected novel may act as a touchstone against which other books in the same genre are measured.

例句

For Andrei, honesty is the touchstone that every friendship must meet.

be the touchstone + that-clause

Critics use the 1954 film as a touchstone for all modern noir cinema.

use something as a touchstone for [domain]

同義詞
  • benchmark

    more concrete and quantitative; common in business and technology contexts

  • yardstick

    more informal and everyday; often used in practical evaluation

  • criterion

    formal and singular; often used in academic or technical contexts

文法句型

be a/the touchstone of/for [noun]

use something as a touchstone

serve as a/the touchstone

用法筆記

Frequently used in the pattern 'be a/the touchstone of/for [abstract quality or domain]'. Carries a formal or literary register, so it is less common in everyday conversation than words like 'standard' or 'benchmark'.

常見錯誤

❌The Eiffel Tower is a touchstone of Paris.' (when meaning a famous landmark).
✅The architectural style of Notre-Dame is a touchstone for evaluating Gothic design.
💡'Touchstone' refers to a standard of quality, not a symbol or landmark.
❌Winning the award was a major touchstone in her career.' (when meaning an important achievement).
✅That award became a touchstone for measuring success in her field.
💡A touchstone is a reference point for judging, not the achievement itself.