From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishtouchstonetouch‧stone /ˈtʌtʃstəʊn $ -stoʊn/ noun [countable] TYPICALsomething used as a test or standardtouchstone of Pupil behaviour was seen as ‘the touchstone of quality’ of the school system.
Examples from the Corpus
touchstone• I have believed that since my earliest days, and I have used it as a touchstone in all my leadership endeavors.• It is a touchstone for legal definitions and rulings.• At its core would be using inflation-adjusted interest rates on short-term credit as its touchstone in setting policy.• We had to rethink the issues and create new touchstones...• I knew one little poem by her, when I was very small, and it became a kind of touchstone.• Tested against the touchstone of Scripture, his speculations would reduce the Bible to the size of a slim paperback.• They tend to regard grammar as the touchstone of all language performance.• The touchstone of the relationship is commercial.touchstone of• Motherhood is seen as a touchstone of female identity.Origin touchstone (1500-1600) touchstone “stone used for testing the quality of gold and silver” ((16-21 centuries)) 