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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Touchstone \Touch"stone'\, noun
1. (Min.) Lydian stone; basanite; -- so called because used to test the purity of gold and silver by the streak which is left upon the stone when it is rubbed by the metal. See {Basanite}.
2. Fig.: Any test or criterion by which the qualities of a thing are tried. --Hooker.
The foregoing doctrine affords us also a touchstone for the trial of spirits. --South.
{Irish touchstone} (Min.), basalt, the stone which composes the Giant's Causeway.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
touchstone
noun: a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated; "they set the measure for all subsequent work" [syn: {standard}, {criterion}, {measure}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
47 Moby Thesaurus words for "touchstone": acid test, assay, barometer, benchmark, blank determination, brouillon, canon, check, criterion, crucial test, crucible, degree, demonstration, determination, docimasy, essay, feeling out, first draft, gauge, graduated scale, kiteflying, measure, model, norm, ordeal, parameter, pattern, probation, proof, quantity, reading, readout, reference, rough draft, rough sketch, rule, scale, sounding out, standard, test, test case, trial, try, type, value, verification, yardstick
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