paragon

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a model of excellence or perfection

   She was held up as a paragon of professional integrity.

Simplified etymology

Paragon entered English in the mid-16th century through an obsolete French word from Italian paragone, a touchstone used to distinguish good gold from bad. The Italian word came from Medieval Greek parakonē, “whetstone”; the idea of a standard for testing quality developed into the modern sense of a perfect example.

From Middle French paragon, from Italian paragone 'touchstone, comparison', from paragonare 'to test on a touchstone', from Greek parakonan 'to sharpen, whet', from para- 'alongside' + akonē 'whetstone'.

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External links

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