Paragon derives from the Old Italian word paragone, which literally means “touchstone.” A touchstone is a black stone that was formerly used to judge the purity of gold or silver. The metal was rubbed on the stone and the color of the streak it left indicated its quality. In modern English, bothtouchstone and paragon have come to signify a standard against which something should be judged. Ultimately, paragon comes from the Greekparakonan, meaning “to sharpen,” from the prefix para- (“alongside of”) and akonē, meaning “whetstone.”

Name That Synonym: What synonym of paragon begins with “ex-” and can refer to a typical specimen or a copy of a book? The answer is …