Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1500-1600
Origin: touchstone 'stone used for testing the quality of gold and silver' (16-21 centuries)

touchstone

 noun
     
touch‧stone [countable]
something used as a test or standard
touchstone of
Pupil behaviour was seen as 'the touchstone of quality' of the school system.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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