plural touchstones
Definition of touchstone
1
: a fundamental or quintessential part or feature : basis
a touchstone film of that decade now considered a touchstone of the city's life— Michael Specter
2
: a test or criterion for determining the quality or genuineness of a thing
Good service is one touchstone of a first-class restaurant.
3
: a black siliceous stone related to flint that is used to test the purity of gold and formerly silver by the streak left on the stone when rubbed by the metal
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for touchstone
The first known use of touchstone was in 1530
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